Q&A's as of 29 Jan.pdf

Questions & Answers a/o

Jan 29, 2020

1. Can we submit more than one white paper (ie, submit for multiple topics)?

ANSWER: Yes, if submitting for multiple topics.

2. Does the project need to be completed for $100,000 or can the technology begin to be developed with that money? Ie, is a feasibility study a valid use of the money?

ANSWER: We are targeting solutions for $100,000 or less that are ready for use / delivery. This is not a SBIR request and feasibility studies will not be awarded.

3. Do you need a detailed breakdown of costs associated with the project or just the final price for the project?

ANSWER: No, a detailed breakdown of costs will not be needed.

4. If selected to pitch, is the pitch open to everyone present (ie, how do we protect our proprietary information from potential competitors)?

ANSWER: The only attendees outside of the pitching company will be government employees. No other vendors will be authorized in the room during presentations.

5. Is there a timeline for a project to be completed?

ANSWER: Pitched solutions need to be ready for delivery at time of award. We anticipate no more than a 30 day (from time of award) delivery date.

6. In the CSO Submittal Instructions category Technology Concept and Company Capability, it states “Offerors shall describe the unique aspects of their proposed solution as it “relates” to the Area of Interest.” If we aim to submit, what Area of Interest shall we put for the support instruction for?

ANSWER: If submitting a solution that does not match any of the 19 posted challenges under the two categories, Space Operations Support & Installation Support, then indicate that the proposed solution’s area of interest is “Broad Innovation Support”.

7. The CSO Submittal Instructions state “All contracts will be firm-fixed price.” Will you consider submissions that give a Fixed Firm Price for the base year, and the price points for optional years?

ANSWER: No, we are not considering option years.

8. If selected for the Pitch Day, will there be follow-up instructions for format, timing, and set-up sent to the selected respondents?

ANSWER: Yes, an invitation package will be sent to all selected attendees.

9. The Submittal Instructions state “Patrick AFB will consider the proposal for a separate Pitch Day on a later date to be specified under this open CSO.” Will those awarded from the same allotted contract budget or from a separate award pool?

ANSWER: For clarification, the submittal instructions stated: “If your proposal is received after 1:00 pm EST, Patrick AFB will consider the proposal for a separate Pitch Day on a later date to be specified under this open CSO”.

10. Installation Support Challenge #4. “Need adequate airflow or cooling affects during summer in warehouse.” Is the improved cooling needed for the people working in the warehouse (keep the people cool), or is the cooling for the material items being stored in the warehouse?

ANSWER: This applies to both personnel and material items.

11. Space Operations Support Challenge #1. “Need capability to feed multiple audio/video fields to the government desktop with the appropriate protections for proprietary/sensitive information.”

11A. Are the audio/video feeds utilized for real-time viewing as well as archived for later viewing?

ANSWER: The audio and visual data will be used for real-time viewing, and may be used archived for post mission analysis.

11B. What is the network architecture for this solution? It is over a WAN or LAN?

If LAN, how many independent networks? If WAN is VPN used?

ANSWER: Anticipated network architecture is multiple LANs. “Multiple” is undefined at this point. We don’t want to set a threshold requirement, but 5+ is a decent planning factor.

11C. How many video and audio feeds need to be distributed to the government desktop?

ANSWER: Multiple. In this context likely 2-3 at a time, but we don’t want to set a threshold requirement.

11D. What I the “government desktop” is that a computer, application or other?

How many government desktops are there?

ANSWER: Government Desktops refer to government laptops. These may reside on NIPR, LTRS, or any other government owned network.

12. Installation Support Challenge #3. “Need a solution that allows communication/location tracking of Ascension Island hikers on 36 square miles of hiking trails.”

12A. What is the max number of tracking/communication devices will be in use concurrently?

ANSWER: Less than four

12B. How many hours a day are the devices in use?

ANSWER: Approximately 4

12C. How many days a year are the devices in use?

ANSWER: Approximately weekends and one day a week (two 4-hours hikes (one in the AM and one in the PM) on the weekends. One 4 hour hike on the weekdays.

12D. How often will messages be sent to and from devices. Example: Only in an emergency or frequently as regular method of communication.

ANSWER: Anticipate only in an emergency, however, if an extension is needed from the Emergency Control Center (ECC, where hikers need to checkout with estimated return time) approximately one communication to the ECC per hike would be beneficial.

12E. Is internet connection available at monitoring locations?

ANSWER: Yes

12F. How many monitoring locations are required?

ANSWER: One monitoring location (the ECC).

12G. Where are they located?

ANSWER: No further than 5 miles from potential hikers with mountainous terrain in-between.

13. Are all offers proposed under the 541690 NAICS code or should they fall under the appropriate NAICS code for the solution being offered?

ANSWER: Vendors can propose under any NAICS that is registered under their business. The NAICS will be used to determine the appropriate business size of the submitting entity.

14. Space Operations Support Challenge # 5. “Need Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Learning (ML) that could provide a high resolution modeling process for decision making.” Please let us know the type of decisions that your team desires the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Learning (ML).

ANSWER: Currently we do not have any type of AI or ML technology on the Eastern Range.

15. Installation Support Challenge # 11. “Need tool to convert CAD data files delivered to the Eastern Range into GIS data files for explosives safety siting software.”

Please let us know the file formats used for the CAD and GIS data files.

ANSWER: The CAD file extension types are typically “.dwg”. The GIS files that we typically use are “.mdb”, “.gdb”, or “.shp”. All of our data must be georeferenced to UTM WGS 1984 Sector 17N.

The issue that is commonly encountered is when a commercial launch customer provides a CAD (.dwg) file to the wing to account for their new or modified construction.

Our Explosives Safety Siting (ESS) software is not compatible with the CAD format. We often have to import the files into CAD and convert the drawings to either a Microsoft Database file (.mdb) a Georeference Database file (.gdb) or a Shapefile (.shp).

16. Does a cover page count against the five page technical volume limitation?

ANSWER: No

17. Is it a requirement that the US company be owned by a US person or is this open for all to apply?

ANSWER: All US companies are allowed to submit.

18. What stage of technology readiness is required for solutions, i.e. is it expected to already be available as a product?

ANSWER: Submissions are expected to be available for immediate use.

19. The document mentions a fair purchase price. Is it necessary to include pricing in the white paper or deck?

ANSWER: Yes

20. When & where do we provide a price (FFP) for doing the work?

ANSWER: Please submit the price in the white paper or pitch deck.

21. Is the Pitch Day limited to only small businesses?

ANSWER: Yes, this is a total small business set-aside

22. Will the Space Force be utilizing a component of the Air Force’s infrastructure for solutions such as IT Service Management (Help Desk) and comprehensive Endpoint Management? Example of endpoint management: Managing devices such as Laptops, mobile devices, servers, VM’s, etc? Managing these devices would not only be from a discovery standpoint, but also ensuring these endpoints are secure by leveraging automated patching and application control technologies? Example of Service Desk:

Utilizing technology to manage incident, problem, and change requests within the department. Utilizing a service desk for the automation of entitlements related to onboarding / offboarding tasks?

ANSWER: The 45th Space Wing utilizes the Air Force’s infrastructure for IT solutions.

23. If the Space Force will be acquiring their own solutions listed above, will innovative technologies matching this functionality be reviewed during this CSO or set aside for a separate event?

ANSWER: This CSO is geared towards supporting 45th Space Wing needs.

24. Is this solicitation intended to cover a full scope of implementing a product, to include any requisite configuration, moving legacy data into the new product, and providing training, etc? Or, is this Solicitation more similar to an Air Force/AFWERX Pitch Day where the award only covers a first phase with follow on work to deploy across the Enterprise?

ANSWER: This CSO is intended to solicit solutions that are available for immediate use.

25. Does the scope of this Solicitation and any associated award include a requirement to secure an ATO for production use? If so, will there be follow-on funding to accommodate supporting the ATO process which can take many months?

ANSWER: This CSO is intended to solicit solutions that are available for immediate use with no guarantee of follow-on awards.

26. Are we permitted to pitch one solution that addresses multiple challenges (with a set up process that accounts for variances among Challenges), and if so, what would the upper and lower limits be for pricing?

ANSWER: Yes, but the targeted threshold will remain at $100,000 or less per solution.

27. Should our pitch assume no integrations? If we should assume integrations, will we know which systems need to be integrated and what the complexity/data model are for those systems?

ANSWER: There may be some integration. This will need to be determined after receiving and reviewing the proposed solution.

28. Can you confirm what the Period of Performance will be?

ANSWER: We are targeting delivery dates NTE 30 days after award.

29. Are there phases associated with these awards (ie, like a SBIR)?

ANSWER: No, this is not a SBIR initiative.

30. Space Operations Support, Challenge #6. “Need AI or ML to provide the ability for various networks to self-monitor health and status across the 45th Space Wing (i.e., loss of power), to alert and identify any abnormalities, or failure, as well as auto-generate work ticket to possibly identify issue and the repair needed for systems across the wing.” Is there data available for the AI/ML applications?

ANSWER: Currently we do not have any type of AI or ML technology on the Eastern Range.

31. The response dates on the website state submissions are due 9 Feb 2020.

Previously they were due at 1pm Eastern on 5 Feb. Please confirm the submittal date and time are now 9 Feb 2020 at 1pm Eastern.

ANSWER: Yes, we have extended the submittal date to Feb 9, 2020 NLT 1:00pm EST.

32. For credit card payments, we are able to take payment over the phone and will need the card number, expiration date, CV code and billing zip code. We can call our finance office and provide the card information to execute payment. Does this meet the government’s requirement for accepting a credit card for partial/initial payment upon contract award?

ANSWER: Yes

33. Please confirm that the credit card payment on date of award will only be an initial payment and not the entire amount.

ANSWER: The credit card payment on date of award will be for 15% of the awarded price. The remaining balance will be paid upon receipt of solution.

34. We are a Small Business partnering with a company providing consultation support and a modeling tool solution for the decision making requirement under operational support. Is there any requirement for percentage of work to be done by either company given that both companies are small businesses?

ANSWER: No.

35. Please confirm that you are expecting industry to provide a recommended NAICS code to be used for contract award.

ANSWER: Yes, vendors can propose under any NAICS that is registered under their business. The NAICS will be used to determine the appropriate business size of the submitting entity.

36. It is our understanding the contract will be awarded on 4 March if we are selected for award upon the government hearing our presentation. Is this correct? If we are selected, what type of contract will be issued in accordance with FAR Part 12?

ANSWER: Yes and the contract will be a Firm Fixed Price letter contract.

37. Are there limitations to number of slides, or being able to conduct a demonstration of our modeling tool solution, at presentations on 4 March?

ANSWER: The initial submitted pitch/slide deck shall not exceed 15 slides. If invited to deliver an in-person pitch, further instructions will be provided for presentation requirements. We encourage demonstrations of the proposed solutions at the 4 Mar Pitch Day.

38. Space Operations Support Challenge #1. “Need capability to feed multiple audio/video fields to the government desktop with the appropriate protections for proprietary/sensitive information.”

38A. Will this be required on more than one network?

ANSWER: The audio/visual inputs may all be on the same network, but it is likely that the inputs will be spread across multiple networks of the same classification level.

38C. Is encryption required? If so, what is the encryption standard/protocol? Will this data be on the NIPRnet?

ANSWER: Encryption may be required, standards/protocols will be dependent on the specific application. Solution is not likely to be on NIPRnet, more likely to be on a mission network(s).

38D. Does multiple audio/video fields mean both audio (i.e. countdown nets) and video (from a camera site) or does it mean a video with audio included in the signal?

ANSWER: Both options are possible. We currently have more separate audio and video sources than we have combined audio/video sources.

39. Is the $100,000 funding for a working demonstration or a proof of concept?

ANSWER: This CSO is intended to solicit solutions that are available for immediate use.

40. Will our NAICS code 517311 “Wired Communications Carriers” in which we qualify as a small business be permitted for this submission?

ANSWER: Yes, vendors can propose under any NAICS that is registered under their business. The NAICS will be used to determine the appropriate business size of the submitting entity.

41. Space Operations Support, Challenge #5. “Need Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Learning (ML) that could provide a high resolution modeling process for decision making.” What is being modeled?

ANSWER: Currently we do not have any type of AI or ML technology on the range.

42. Is it required form offerors to accept Government Purchase Cards (GPC's)?

ANSWER: Yes

43. Are videos (5 min or less) accepted as convincing evidence?

ANSWER: Submitted solutions shall include a white paper that shall not exceed 5 pages and a pitch/slide deck not to exceed 15 slides; however, videos embedded in the slides are acceptable.