Attachment 4 Draft ITO - AEDC.pdf

FA2486-20-F-1004

ATTACHMENT 4

INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS (ITO)

Technical and Management Advisory Services (TMAS) 2 Fair Opportunity Proposal

Request (FOPR) for AEDC

1.0 General Guidance

The ITO provides general guidance for preparing proposals as well as specific instructions on the format and content of the proposal. The Offeror's proposal must include all data and information requested by the ITO and must be submitted in accordance with these instructions. If the Technical Volume and Cost Volume provide contradictory information for the same subject, the proposal may be ineligible for award.

IMPORTANT: If a proposal fails to conform to the instructions provided in this ITO, it may be deemed non-responsive and ineligible for award.

All proposal information is subject to verification by the Government. Falsification of any proposal submission, documents, or statements may subject the Offeror to civil or criminal prosecution under Section 1001 of Title 18 of the United States Code and/or disqualification from this Fair Opportunity Competition.

Compliance with Requirements

Offeror shall comply with the requirements as stated in the FOPR.

The “Level of Effort (LOE) Matrix” is used as a basis of estimate by the Government. The LOE Matrix (Attachment 03) is a firm requirement and all Offerors are required to bid labor rates for all labor categories at the exact hours contained within. Failing to provide labor rates at the exact hours by designated labor category, security level and location will result in the rejection of the Offeror's proposal.

The Offeror shall select a maximum of five (5) work samples, to submit as substantiating evidence for the self-score. The scoring of each qualification criteria shall come from the five (5) work samples submitted, and only those five (5), unless otherwise noted. A Work Sample Cover Sheet (Attachment 18), must be completed for each work sample submitted. Each work sample must provide at least two (2) Government Points of Contact (POC). The Government will make a reasonable effort to contact the Government POCs provided. The Government reserves the right to contact whomever the POC tells them to contact.

An acceptable work sample is defined as a “stand alone” contract, or a task order issued under a master IDIQ contract (FAR 16.501-1). When referring to work samples, the terms “contract” and “task order” are interchangeable with “contract” often used as the all-encompassing term. If a joint venture is utilized as a work sample, provide the Joint Venture CAGE and a copy of the most current Joint Venture agreement with the work sample. A single award IDIQ contract is an acceptable work sample, as long as there is only a single CPAR. All work samples must be redacted of any Personally Identifiable Information (PII) to the maximum extent practicable while still enabling adequate substantiation for Government validation. PII is defined as any information that includes name, social security numbers or any other information that would identify an individual. Names in and of themselves are not considered PII.

The United States Government (USG) Evaluation Team reserves the right to contact the Government POCs provided in Attachment 18, Work Sample Cover Sheet, the Prime, any Subcontractors, or any other Government resources, for any or all criteria during validation of self-scores. If the Government cannot validate the Offeror’s self-score on a criteria based on the substantiating data provided and/or through the Government POCs, the Government reserves the right to downward adjust the score, potentially all the way down to zero (0) points awarded.

IMPORTANT: Unsubstantiated and/or misleading claims, for even a single category, could result in the Government determining that the Offeror’s proposed self-score is disingenuous and/or artificially inflated and the proposal would be unawardable. The next highest rated self-score would then be evaluated.

Clarity of Proposal

The proposal shall be clear, concise, and include sufficient detail for effective evaluation and substantiating the validity of stated claims. The burden of proof to substantiate the Offeror’s self-score rests with the Offeror. The proposal shall include bodies of evidence supporting each self-score, to include any Highest Technically RatedOfferor (HTRO) Past Performance Questionnaires (PPQs) (Attachment 16) that the Offeror provides with the proposal. The Offeror shall provide cross references with their proposal that will clearly demonstrate the connection between the submitted documents and criteria called out in the Self Scoring Matrix. Offerors shall assume that the Government has no prior knowledge of its facilities, capabilities, and experience and will base the evaluation solely on the information presented in the Offeror's proposal.

PPQs shall be used judiciously. As an example, an over reliance on PPQs instead of highlighting work sample performance work statements/statements of work could be an indication that the Offeror routinely performed work that is ‘out of scope’ of the contract/task order work sample submitted.

Provided in the Cross Reference Matrix (Attachment 14) is a suggested list of documents that could substantiate the Offerors self-score; however, the Offeror is not limited to these items if a separate document can substantiate the proposed self-score. It is the responsibility of, and incumbent upon, the Offeror to accurately reference the specific location (e.g. page number or paragraph number) of substantiating data in each work sample within Attachment 14 for validation of the Offeror’s self-score. Failure to accurately reference the specific location may result in the Government’s inability to validate the proposed self-score resulting in a downward adjustment.

What Not to Submit

Offerors shall not submit elaborate brochures or documentation, binding, detailed artwork, or other embellishments. The Offeror will refer to the Cross Reference Matrix (Attachment 14) of the solicitation package for a list of acceptable documentation for each evaluation category.

Statement of Proposal Validity

The Offeror shall clearly state in its contract documentation volume that the proposal is valid for 270 calendar days from the proposal due date.

FAR 4.8 – Retention of Unsuccessful Proposals

In accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Subpart 4.8, Government Contract Files, the Government will retain one (1) copy of all unsuccessful proposals.

Selection Without Interchanges

The Offeror is reminded that the Government reserves the right to award this effort based on the initial proposal, as received, without further contact. If during the evaluation period, it is determined to be in the best interest of the Government to conduct interchanges with an Offeror, the Offeror will be notified by the Contracting Officer. The Government may conduct interchanges either orally or in writing, and may issue questions to some, none, or all Offerors.

IMPORTANT: The Government reserves the right to contact the Prime, any Subcontractors, and/or other Government resources to substantiate, understand, or clarify ANY of the evidence provided.

Team Composition and Adjustment

Task order Prime Offerors are ultimately responsible for the composition of their task order team.

2.0 Point of Contact (POC)

The Contracting Officer (CO) is the primary Government POC for this acquisition. Offerors shall address questions or concerns to the CO, and courtesy copy the designated Contract Specialist identified in the FOPR cover letter.

3.0 Debriefings

The CO will notify Offerors of the fair opportunity decision in accordance with FAR 16.505(b)(6). Upon such notification, unsuccessful Offerors may request and receive a debriefing.

Unsuccessful Offerors desiring a debriefing must make their request in accordance with the requirements of FAR 15.506, as applicable.

4.0 Discrepancies

If an Offeror believes that these instructions contain errors or omissions, or are otherwise unsound, the Offeror should immediately notify the CO in writing with supporting rationale and any remedy the Offeror may ask the CO to consider. Offerors are reminded that the Government reserves the right to award based upon the Offeror’s initial proposal, as received by the Government, without further interchanges.

5.0 Electronic Communications

Communication of fair opportunity selection information between the Government and Offerors will be controlled by the CO. Electronic mail may be used to transmit such information between Offerors and the CO only if the electronic mail can be sent and received encrypted and includes the caption “Source Selection Information – See FAR 2.101 & 3.104” in the subject line of the electronic mail. In order to facilitate the sending and receiving of encrypted electronic mail, Offerors must use Microsoft Outlook email configured to support encryption or a different electronic mail product that is Secure/Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (S/MIME) compatible and configured to support encryption. If the Offeror intends to submit fair opportunity selection information via encrypted electronic mail, the Offeror will need to contact the CO indicated in the FOPR cover letter prior to that first submittal in order to exchange certificates used for encryption. To ensure the process is working correctly, the Offeror may send a test encrypted message first (without including any fair opportunity selection information).

The CO may use the Army Research Laboratory Safe Access File Exchange (ARL SAFE) or DoD SAFE websites to disperse information. The Offeror will receive an electronic mail with a notice a document(s) has been made available to them. The electronic mail will include a link and a password, both of which will be needed to access the document(s).

6.0 Organization/Number of Copies/Page Limits

Offerors shall prepare their proposals as set forth in the Proposal Organization Table below. The title and contents of each proposal volume shall be as set forth in the table. In addition, proposal volumes shall be within required page limits and be submitted with the number of copies specified in the table.

Proposal Organization

VOLUME

NUMBER

VOLUME TITLE

COPIES

REQUIRED

PAGE

LIMIT

I(a) Executive Summary (Not Evaluated)

1 hard copy / 1 digital media copy (CD/DVD)

I(b) Contract Documentation 1 hard copy / 1 digital media copy (CD/DVD)

No Limit

II Task Order Technical Proposal Substantiating Data

1 hard copy / 1 digital media copy (CD/DVD)

III Task Order Cost/Price 1 hard copy / 1 digital media copy (CD/DVD)

Offerors shall place the completed self-scored matrix directly behind the cover sheet in Volume I(a) and behind the cover sheet in Volume II.

Page Limits

The page limits prescribed above are maximum page limits for each volume. Pages submitted in excess of these limits will not be considered in the Government’s evaluation of the proposal. The Government may also place page limits on responses to Interchange Notices (INs), should any be issued. These page limits will be prescribed in CO letters forwarding INs to each Offeror.

Cover pages, self-scored matrix, tables of contents, separator tabs, and glossaries shall not be counted against prescribed page limits.

Page Formatting

A page is defined as each face of a sheet of paper containing information. When both sides of a sheet of paper display printed material, that sheet shall be counted as two pages. Page size shall be 8.5 x 11 inches, unless foldouts are necessary and then foldouts count as two (2) pages. Pages shall be no less than single spaced as defined in paragraph settings/spacing in Microsoft Word.

The text size shall be written in no less than 12-point font, font shall be Times New Roman, character spacing shall be Microsoft Word default settings as “normal,” and margins shall be no less than one (1) inch on all sides. The font size requirement is not mandatory for substantiating documents that fall out of this range. The font size requirement for all tables, charts, graphs and foldouts shall be written in no less than 12-point font, font shall be Times New Roman, character spacing shall be Microsoft Word default settings as “normal”.

The 12-point font and 1-inch margin does not apply to copies of the Cross Reference Matrix (Attachment 14), Self Scoring Matrix (Attachment 17), Work Sample Cover Sheet (Attachment 18), and Uniform Pricing Template (UPT) (Attachment 6) or any substantiation documentation (e.g., Contract Data Requirement List (CDRL) items, Performance Work Statements (PWS), invoices, screenshots)—foldouts are permitted for both. However, the Offeror shall ensure that all submittals are legible.

Pages shall be numbered sequentially by volume. The page formatting prescribed here shall also apply to responses to INs, if any.

7.0 Cost or Pricing Information

All cost and pricing information shall be addressed ONLY in the Task Order Cost/Price Volume.

The Government may request additional cost and/or pricing information to substantiate or understand the Offeror’s proposal.

8.0 Cross-Referencing

To the greatest extent possible, each volume shall be written as a stand-alone document so that it may be evaluated with minimum cross reference to other volumes of the proposal. Failure to include proposal information in the correct designated volume may result in the Government not considering the information in the evaluation.

The Offeror shall complete the Cross Reference Matrix (Attachment 14), indicating the proposal reference information as it relates to the substantiating information references found therein.

9.0 Indexing

Each volume shall contain a detailed table of contents delineating the subsections within that volume. Tab indexing shall be used to identify sections.

10.0 Binding and Labeling

Each volume should contain a cover sheet clearly marked as to volume number, title, copy number, and “FA2486-20-F-1001”. Be sure to apply all appropriate markings including those prescribed in accordance with FAR 52.215-1(e), Restriction on Disclosure and Use of Data, and FAR 3.104-4, Disclosure, Protection, and Marking of Contractor Bid or Proposal Information and Fair Opportunity Selection Information.

11.0 Digital Media Copies

Both Prime Offerors and Subcontractors shall submit digital copies (CD or DVD) of their proposal submissions. Indicate on each CD or DVD the volume number and title. Use separate files to permit rapid location of all portions, including subfactors, exhibits, annexes, and attachments, if any. The Offeror shall submit Volumes I in Microsoft Word (*.docx) and/or searchable .pdf format, and Volumes II and III in Microsoft Word (*.docx) and/or Microsoft Excel (*.xlsx) with traceable formulas where applicable, and/or searchable *.pdf format. Proposal Volumes I and III may be submitted together on a single CD or DVD; however, Volume II shall be provided on a separate CD or DVD.

12.0 Distribution

The “original” proposal shall be identified as such. Proposals shall be addressed to the CO and mailed or hand carried to the following address by the due date and time specified in the table at Paragraph 6.1. Initial proposals will not be accepted via electronic mail.

AFTC/PZZA

Attn: Major Adam C. Vance 101 West D Ave, Bldg 1, Suite 101 Eglin AFB, Florida 32542-6878

Delivery time is by 3:00 pm CST on the proposal due date.

Volume I – Executive Summary/Contract Documentation

13.0 Table of Contents

Volume I shall include a Master Table of Contents for the entire proposal.

14.0 Volume I(a) - Executive Cover Letter/Executive Summary

An Executive Summary shall be included within Proposal Volume I and shall not exceed two (2) pages in length. The Executive Summary shall include the Offeror’s self-score point total. The Executive Summary will not be evaluated.

15.0 Volume I(b) – Contract Documentation

As part of Volume I, the Offeror shall include all required contract documentation that does not belong in the Task Order Technical Proposal Volume or the Task Order Cost/Price Volume. The Offeror shall provide the Cross-Reference Matrix (Attachment 14) that matches proposal volume and paragraph numbers, with corresponding FOPR section and paragraph numbers – to include the PWS and CDRLs. In addition, the Contract Documentation section shall include the following:

• Authorized Offeror Personnel

• Government Offices

• Provisions and Clauses Fill-ins

• Cross Teaming Limitations and Identification of Subcontractors

Note: There is no page limitation for Volume I(b), Contract Documentation

Authorized Offeror Personnel

The Offeror shall provide the name, title, electronic mail address and telephone number of the company/division Point of Contact (POC) regarding decisions made with respect to its proposal and who can obligate the company contractually. In addition, the Offeror shall identify those individuals authorized to communicate with the Government.

Government Offices

Provide the mailing address, electronic mail address, and facility codes for the cognizant Contract Administration Office, Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA), and Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA).

Provisions and Clauses Fill-ins

Applicable fill-in provisions and clauses shall be incorporated in Volume I(b).

Cross Teaming Limitations and Identification of Subcontractors

The following restrictions on cross teaming shall apply for purposes of each TMAS task order:

During any single task order competition, if a company is identified as a Prime Offeror or teaming partner/Subcontractor on any proposal for a specific task order competition, then that company cannot participate as a Prime Offeror or teaming partner/Subcontractor on any other Offeror's task order proposal for that specific task order.

After proposal submission of a task order, the teaming arrangement limitation does not apply to subsequent task order fair opportunity notices or awards.

The Offeror shall provide a list of all proposed Subcontractors that will perform work on the task order and the mailing address, electronic mail address and facility codes for the cognizant Contract Administration Office, DCAA, and DCMA for each Subcontractor.

Volume II – FACTOR 1: Task Order Technical Proposal Substantiating Data

16.0 General

The Task Order Technical Proposal Volume should be specific and complete. Legibility, clarity, brevity, and coherence are important. The Offeror’s proposal will be evaluated using the Self- Scoring Matrix (Attachment 17). Using the instructions provided below, the Offeror shall provide, as specifically as possible, the actual evidence used to substantiate the Offeror’s self-score. All the requirements specified in the solicitation are mandatory. By submitting a proposal, the Offeror represents that it will perform all the requirements specified in the solicitation. The Offeror shall not include any dollar amounts within the Technical Proposal.

IMPORTANT: The Offeror shall consider the entire description in the Evaluation Criteria document (Attachment 05) Section 3.0 when self-scoring; the Self-Scoring Matrix includes only a summary of each complete criterion.

Format and Specific Content

The Task Order Technical Proposal Volume II, has no page limit. In Volume II, the Offeror shall provide specific evidence to substantiate its self-score.

16.1.1 Self-Scoring Matrix (Attachment 17)

16.1.2 Cross Reference Matrix (which instructs Offerors what to submit as substantiating documentation) (Attachment 14)

16.1.3 Work Sample Cover Sheet(s) (Attachment 18) and Substantiating Documentation by Work Sample

Volume III – FACTOR 2: Task Order Cost/Price Proposal

17.0 Cost/Price

General Instructions

These instructions are to assist the Offeror in preparing and submitting Data Other Than Certified Cost or Pricing Data required in accordance with FAR 15.403-3. The Government needs this information in order to properly evaluate the reasonableness, realism, and balance of the Offeror's proposed price. Compliance with these instructions is mandatory and failure to do so could result in the rejection of the proposal. Offers should be sufficiently detailed to demonstrate their reasonableness, realism, and balance. The burden of proof for credibility rests with the Offeror.

Information beyond that required by these instructions shall not be submitted, unless the Offeror considers it essential to support their proposed cost and price.

All information regarding cost or pricing documentation must be included in the Cost and Price Volume and/or the Contract Documentation Volume. Cost or pricing documentation shall not be included elsewhere in the proposal.

17.1.1. Other than certified Cost or Pricing Data

If, in the CO’s opinion, other than certified cost and pricing data is adequate then no additional data will be requested and certification under FAR 15.406-2 will not be required. However, CO reserves the right to require Offerors to submit Certified Cost or Pricing Data in accordance with

FAR 15.4.

17.1.2. Ground Rules and Assumptions

The Offeror shall include a general discussion of the ground rules and assumptions (e.g. contract type, contract items, delivery schedule, Government Furnished Equipment/Property/Information (GFE/P/I)) used to develop the proposed prices. All assumptions, scope limitations and/or qualifications of the cost and price proposal shall be addressed and explained. The Offeror shall list each exception to the instructions provided in the solicitation and each qualification of the Cost and Price Volumes, if any. The Offeror shall provide complete rationale for any exceptions.

Other ground rules and assumptions of the prospective contract should be provided in the appropriate sections of the proposal accordingly.

17.1.3. Estimating Techniques and Methods

When responding to the Cost and Price Volume requirements in the solicitation, the Offeror and Subcontractors may use any generally accepted estimating technique, including contemporary estimating methods (such as Cost-to-Cost and Cost-to-Non-Cost Estimating Relationships (CERs), commercially available parametric cost models, in-house developed parametric cost models) to develop their estimates.

17.1.4. Rounding

All dollar amounts shall be rounded to the nearest dollar (e.g. $1,234), except that all labor rates shall be rounded to the nearest penny (e.g. $12.34). Percentages shall be rounded to the nearest hundredth of a percent (e.g. 12.34%). Offerors are encouraged to utilize the “Round” function in Microsoft Excel to eliminate rounding errors from their proposal, as evidenced in the cost formats.

Cost and Price Volume(s)

The Cost and Price Volume(s) shall be prefaced by a table of contents and shall specify, by page number, where each cost format and each piece of narrative data is located. The Cost and Price Volumes shall provide comprehensive narrative support for the cost and price proposal(s). In addition, the Offeror shall provide a Contract Line Item (CLIN) summary. The Cost and Price Volume shall consist of the following sections:

SECTION 1: Introduction (see Section 17.2.1) SECTION 2: Subcontracts Summary (see Section 17.2.2) SECTION 3: Basis of Estimate and Other Information (see Section 17.2.3) SECTION 4: Uniform Pricing Template (UPT) Instructions - Submission of UPT (see Section 17.2.4)

17.2.1. SECTION 1: Introduction

The Offeror shall prepare a proposal summary that includes an introduction, overview, index, summary description of their accounting systems, and, if applicable, changes to approved/disclosed accounting systems.

17.2.1.1. Accounting System Summary

The Offeror shall provide a current (within 12 months from date of proposal submittal) audit report, finding, or letter from the Offeror’s cognizant DCMA Administrative Contracting Officer (ACO) or DCAA office stating that the Offeror’s accounting system has been audited and/or determined to be both compliant with the FAR and is adequate for cost type contracts. A cost type contract may only be awarded if the limitations in FAR 16.301-3 are met. This reference establishes limitations that the Contractor’s accounting system must be adequate for determining costs applicable to the contract. Therefore, no award can be made to an Offeror whose accounting system has not been determined to be adequate for cost type contracts. This impacts all team members/Subcontractors if the Prime anticipates awarding cost type subcontracts to them. If no cost type subcontracts are to be awarded, the Offeror shall so state. If cost type subcontracts for team members/Subcontractors are to be awarded, the Offeror shall provide the necessary information from them.

If it has been over 12 months since the accounting system was reviewed, the Offeror shall provide a statement that the accounting system has not changed since being reviewed. If the accounting system has changed, a certification shall be provided indicating that the changes have not impacted the approval or adequacy of the accounting system. The certification (if needed) shall be signed by someone with the legal authority to bind the company.

17.2.1.2. Adequate Disclosure Statements

As this acquisition is a small business set-aside, in accordance with FAR Part 30 and FAR Appendix 9903.201-1(b)(3); Cost Accounting Standards (CAS) do not apply to small business concerns. Therefore, this contract is CAS-exempt and an adequate disclosure statement is not required.

17.2.2. SECTION 2: Subcontracts Summary

17.2.2.1. Subcontractor Analysis

The Offeror shall provide a cost and price evaluation for all Subcontractors. The evaluation must explain how the Subcontractor effort relates to the overall effort and corroborate the justification that leads to the Prime’s conclusion that the Subcontractor price is reasonable. Any cost or price adjustments to the Subcontractor proposed prices that are included in the Offeror’s proposal submission, including discounting or expected decreases to be achieved in negotiations, shall be fully identified and explained.

As instructed in the UPT, a Subcontractor performing 10.00% or more of the total effort price (excluding travel, Other Direct Costs (ODCs), and studies and analyses) shall be considered a "major" Subcontractor and a Subcontractor performing less than 10.00% of the total effort shall be considered a "minor" Subcontractor. Detailed cost and pricing data is required for the prime and all major Subcontractors. If the sum of the prime plus major Subcontractors does not exceed 85.00% of the total proposed price, then additional detailed cost and pricing data shall be required of minor Subcontractors in descending rank order (highest to lowest price) such that detailed cost and pricing data shall be submitted for a minimum of 85.00% of the total proposed price. A separate pricing tab must be completed by the Prime for all major Subcontractors as instructed in the UPT. If detailed pricing is required of minor Subcontractors to meet the 85.00% threshold cited above, those minor Subcontractors shall be handled as major Subcontractors in accordance with the instructions in the UPT. Since some of the required data may be considered proprietary, any necessary Subcontractor Basis of Estimate (BOE), Volume III, Section 3, may be submitted under separate cover directly to the CO by the Subcontractor, via one (1) CD copy, to the address identified in Paragraph 12.0. Any data submitted separately by the Subcontractor must be received by the CO by the due date specified in Paragraph 12.0. The Government will not consider Subcontractor provided BOE data that is submitted late. Any Subcontractor performing less than 10.00% of the total task order proposed price is not required to populate hours on the worksheet for positions being filled by that Subcontractor except as described above.

17.2.3. SECTION 3: Basis of Estimate and Other Information

This section shall include other information that will further support the Offeror's cost volume.

The Offeror shall include other information including but not limited to GFE/P/I and/or Government-owned facilities, by Contractor fiscal year over the period of performance.

17.2.3.1. Administrative Information

The Prime and Subcontractors shall provide names and addresses of the cognizant DCMA/Contract Administrative Office (CAO) and the cognizant DCAA office.

17.2.3.2. Direct and Indirect Rates

The Government requires Offerors (Primes and Subcontractors in accordance with Paragraph 17.2.2.1) to objectively prove/verify/substantiate the realism/reasonableness of all proposed rates. Rates that are determined to be unrealistic and/or unreasonable despite the inclusion of substantiating documentation are subject to adjustment if, in the Government’s judgment, it determines the Offeror will not likely be able to hire and retain qualified personnel at the rate proposed or if the proposed price is deemed to reflect a lack of sound business judgment. Proposals requiring an upward/downward adjustment greater than or equal to 10.00% to the evaluated rates in Step 1 or the total proposed cost in Step 2 of the Cost Realism/Reasonableness Analysis (hereafter referred to as Analysis) described in the evaluation criteria will be deemed unrealistic/unreasonable.

While proposals requiring Most Probable Cost (MPC) upward adjustments greater than or equal to 10% of total proposed cost are unrealistic, proposals requiring less than a 10.00% MPC upward adjustment may still be considered unrealistic if the price is deemed to reflect a failure to comprehend the complexity of the contract requirements, or poses an unacceptable risk to contract performance.

If, during the cost analysis, the Government determines that rates are overstated by greater than or equal to 10.00% in Step 1 or the total proposed cost in Step 2, the proposal will be ineligible for award. An overstatement by greater than or equal to 10.00% is unreasonable and the cost is deemed to reflect a lack of sound business judgment.

This also applies to Subcontractors in accordance with Paragraph 17.2.2.1.

17.2.3.2.1. Direct Labor Rates:

The Government assumes that the Government representative rates attached will be appropriate for positions on this task order Contractors may deviate from the Government’s representative rates if it is necessary to support particular mission requirements. If the Offeror chooses to deviate from the Government’s representative rates, the Offeror must explicitly identify and explain their reason for deviating in the BOE.

For pricing the labor categories within the Cost Volume, consider recommended education / experience specified within the PWS to be a minimum.

17.2.3.2.2. Indirect Rates:

The Offeror shall identify the base to which each indirect rate (overheads, fringe, General and Administrative (G&A), etc.) is applied.

If an Offeror has a Forward Pricing Rate Agreement (FPRA) with the cognizant CO, the Offeror shall provide the FPRA with the negotiated direct and indirect rates. This applies to Subcontractors also in accordance with Paragraph 17.2.2.1.

If an Offeror does not have an FPRA, the Offeror shall provide the most current approved Provisional Billing Rates (PBR) for any indirect rates. This applies to Subcontractors also in accordance with Paragraph 17.2.2.1.

If the Offeror does not have an FPRA or PBRs, the Offeror shall submit current billing rates and explain how the proposed rates were derived. The Offeror shall submit their most current indirect rate invoices or information that contain actual indirect rates, this shall include the previous six months prior to the release of this FOPR. If the Government determines the proposed rates to be unrealistic it will be accounted for in the realism assessment. This also applies to Subcontractors.

Assertions submitted without evidence will be accorded little or no weight in MPC determination.

For MPC calculations, the Government will evaluate total compensation. This will include direct labor rates and fringe. Offerors shall provide a description of their fringe benefit package being provided. For fringe benefits the Government intends to utilize the Department of Labor published standards in its analysis.

The evaluation of fringe benefits is two-fold. First, the Government will verify the rates are either Government-approved or six months of actuals have been provided in the absence of approved rates. Second, in order to evaluate total compensation, the Government will evaluate proposed rates with the Department of Labor published standards to ensure fringe benefits offered are consistent with those standards. The Government reserves the right to adjust an Offeror's price during the Cost Realism assessment if the fringe benefits package is deemed unrealistically low, even if DCAA has approved those rates as a PBR.

Offerors are required to fill-in the indirect ceiling rate(s) within Section H, EGLIN-H015, Indirect Ceiling Rates (Jan 20), for each team member. Each team member will choose one (1) method (see paragraph 2a and 2b), as identified within the clause, in proposing its indirect ceiling rate(s). The team member will propose only one (1) rate (under paragraph 2a) or one (1) set of rates (under paragraph 2b), regardless of whether it expects performance will involve more than one (1) cost center. The Offeror shall not include ceiling rates in EGLIN-H015 for a team member who does not propose Fully Burdened Labor Rates (FBLRs). (The Government expects a one-to-one correlation between team members who propose FBLRs and team members who propose indirect ceiling rates.)

For any team member whose fringe is subject to ceiling (because the team member’s accounting system treats fringe as an indirect cost and includes it in a pool with other costs that are not compensation-related), the team member shall provide its best estimate of its actual fringe rate.

“Actual fringe rate” is intended to reflect the rate attributable to fringe that the contractor is currently paying if fringe benefits currently being provided are comparable to fringe benefits proposed. If the team member intends to provide fringe benefits greater than its current fringe benefits, the team member should provide (1) its historic fringe rate, (2) its likely actual fringe rate, (3) an explanation of how the proposed benefits differ from current benefits, and (4) an explanation of how its likely actual fringe rate was derived. The best estimate of the actual fringe rate should be captured in the BOE.

Offerors are cautioned that the Government may reject proposals that fail to follow the above instructions, or, adjust proposed labor rates without further consideration.

17.2.3.3. Professional Employee Compensation

The offeror and subcontractors/teaming partners/joint venture partners who will be providing a meaningful number of total number of professional employees shall submit a total compensation plan setting forth salaries and fringe benefit package proposed for the professional employees, as required under FAR 52.222-46. For this acquisition, all positions are considered professional employees. The prime Offeror should instruct its subcontractors to submit their total compensation plan directly to the contracting officer. The prime Offeror shall also submit a list of the subcontractors to include points of contact and phone numbers who will be submitting professional employee compensation packages to the Government. The total compensation plan submitted in the proposal will not become part of the awarded contract. The compensation and benefits details provided will be for the standard and premium markets. Supporting information should include data, such as recognized national and regional compensation surveys and studies of professional, public and private organizations, used in establishing the total compensation structure.

17.2.3.4. Government Furnished Equipment (GFE)

No GFE other than what is identified in the PWS (Attachment 1) will be allowable.

17.2.3.5. Fixed Fee

The Offeror shall provide one fixed fee rate for the effort for both Prime and Subcontractor labor.

A proposed fee rate shall not exceed 5%. Fee rates in excess of the Not to Exceed (NTE) amount will not be considered fair and reasonable and the Offeror will not be eligible for award regardless of technical score. A fee rate of 5% could still make the Offeror unreasonable as it could make its overall price unreasonable.

17.2.3.6. Escalation Rates

An escalation rate of 3.0% for all option years shall be proposed for all labor categories in which a premium rate is applied. A standard escalation rate of 2.1% should be applied to the rest of the United States. This is applicable to all Subcontractors. Failure to incorporate this escalation rate shall result in an adjustment to this escalation rate.

17.2.4. SECTION 4: Uniform Pricing Template (UPT) Instructions - Submission of UPTs

Offerors shall submit UPTs using an electronically submitted format compatible with Microsoft Excel (*.xlsx) containing simple embedded formulas that provide insight into the build-up of the Offeror’s cost proposal. These UPTs are provided by the Government, Offerors may make adjustments to the UPT (add additional columns to worksheets, rows shall not be adjusted), if needed, to provide additional information for clarification. However, any additional indirects or burdens which would impact the total cost will not be accounted for in the rate calculation for that position and should not be included in the UPT. Factors that affect labor rates should be included in the BOE for that labor category to fully explain the direct labor rate populated in the UPT. The Offeror shall not encrypt, lock or protect the UPT for proposal submission. Below is a description of each section of the Excel file UPT.

17.2.4.1. Total Summary Worksheet

This worksheet provides a cost and price summary by Transition FFP and Direct Labor CPFF CLIN by contract type for the Base Year, and Option Years 1-4, for labor categories with assigned hours in the LOE Matrix only. This worksheet does not include the cost for labor categories with an assigned quantity of one (1) hour for the purposes of the B-Table MPC evaluation. The Total Estimated Cost and Fixed Fee cells for the CPFF LOE CLINs are linked directly to the Location Tabs.

17.2.4.2. Labor by Location Worksheets

This worksheet identifies the Labor Categories, Experience Level, and estimated hours set forth by the Government for the Base Year and Option Years 1-4 at each location, and these elements shall not be adjusted. The Offeror shall propose a direct labor rate and any indirect rates for every labor category.

For each Labor Category identify the following for the CPFF LOE CLINs:

1. Direct Labor Rate – rounded to the nearest penny

2. Any “Indirect Rates” (e.g. Fringe, Overhead, G&A) as a percentage

3. Total Estimated Cost (Less Fixed Fee) will be calculated

4. Fixed Fee as a percentage

5. Fixed Fee ($) will be calculated

6. Total Price will be calculated

7. The Fully Burdened Labor Rate (Less Fee) will be calculated

8. Fixed Fee/Hour will be calculated

NOTE: The RED font within these tabs are a sample.

17.2.4.3 B-Table by Location Worksheets

These worksheets identify the Fully Burdened Labor Rates (Less Fee) and Fixed Fee/Hour that will be on contract for each labor category for the Base Year and Option Years 1-4. The rates and fixed fee/hour are linked to Columns E and F in the corresponding Labor Worksheet. If there is a difference from the rates and fixed fee/hour found in the B-Table by Location Worksheets and the rates and fixed fee/hour found in the Location Worksheets, the Location Worksheets take precedence.

NOTE: The RED font within these tabs are a sample.