Attachment_3_-_Section_L_-_Instruction_to_Offerors.pdf

Section L - Instructions, Conditions, and Notices to Offerors

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS

Section L provides general guidance for preparing proposals, specific instructions on the format and content of the proposals. Throughout this section, the term “offeror” means the prime contractor submitting the proposal. The offeror’s proposal must include all data and information requested and must be submitted in accordance with these instructions. Any offeror who submits an incomplete package may be considered non-responsive. The offer shall be compliant with the requirements as stated in the Request for Proposal (RFP). A proposal that is sufficiently documented to support cost/price and technical requirements in a complete, orderly, and specific detailed manner will enable the Government to perform a thorough and fair evaluation.

Noncompliance with the instructions and RFP may result in an unfavorable proposal evaluation and may be grounds to eliminate the proposal from consideration for contract award.

1. Type of Acquisition: The requirement is a competitive, Full and Open acquisition. This is a Subjective Tradeoff source selection conducted in accordance with Federal

Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Parts 12 and 15, Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation

Supplement (DFARS), and Air Force FAR Supplement (AFFARS). Award will be made based on the Best Value, meaning the Government seeks to award to an offeror who provides the greatest confidence that they will meet the Government’s requirements affordably. The Best Value technique chosen for this acquisition will be Subjective

Tradeoff, where technical and past performance, when combined, are significantly more important than price.

2. Discrepancies and Ambiguities: If an offeror believes the requirements in these instructions contain an error, omission, ambiguities, or are otherwise unsound, the offeror shall immediately notify the contracting officer in writing with supporting rationale no later than 10 calendar days after the RFP release.

3. Postponement of Proposal Closing Date: If a determination is made to postpone a proposal closing date, an amendment will be posted to FedBizOpps.gov.

4. Sections K, L, and M apply to the solicitation phase only; therefore, they will not be a physical part of the resulting contract.

PROPOSAL PREPARATION INSTRUCTIONS

A. Submit signed and dated offers no later than the date and time provided in Block 8, page 1 of the SF1449 to:

97CONF.PKA.Contracting@us.af.mil kelsey.causey@us.af.mil lori.clinton@us.af.mil

B. The offeror agrees to hold the prices and discount percentages in its offer firm for 90 calendar days from the date specified for receipt of offers.

C. Offerors are responsible for submitting electronic offers by the solicitation due date and time.

Offers received after the solicitation due date and time are considered late and will be handled in accordance with FAR 15.208.

D. Only electronic versions of proposals will be accepted. Paper copies will be rejected and not considered for award. Offers may be submitted in one of the following three ways:

a. Submit offers electronically to the Government to

97CONF.PKA.Contracting@us.af.mil, kelsey.causey@us.af.mil, and lori.clinton@us.af.mil. All documents shall be submitted in .pdf format. The title of the documents shall include the volume number and offeror’s CAGE code (i.e. “Vol 1

Percentage CAGE#”).

b. Hand carry/deliver offers in the form of CDs/DVDs containing electronic files. All documents shall be submitted in .pdf format. The title of the documents shall include the volume number and offeror’s CAGE code (i.e., “Vol 1 Percentage CAGE#”).

Contractors shall request base access for hand carried proposal deliveries NO

LATER THAN 24 hours prior to the proposal due date/time by sending an email request to 97CONF.PKA.Contracting@us.af.mil, kelsey.causey@us.af.mil, and lori.clinton@us.af.mil identifying the company name and list of individuals requesting access to Altus AFB, Oklahoma.

c. Mail offers in the form of CDs/DVDs containing electronic files to the:

97th Contracting Flight

Attn: PKA Contracting/Lori Clinton

308 N. 1st Street, Suite 2301

Altus AFB, Oklahoma 73523-5003

All documents must be in .pdf format. The title of the documents shall include the

Volume Number and the offeror’s CAGE code (i.e., “Vol 2 Technical CAGE#”).

If offers will be mailed, please send an email to lori.clinton@us.af.mil to confirm delivery of offer.

d. All offers shall be complete, clearly presented, and contain sufficient detail for effective evaluation as detailed in this solicitation. Offers shall be neat, indexed

(cross-indexed as appropriate) and assembled in an orderly manner. Elaborate artwork, expensive visual, and other presentation aids are neither necessary nor desired. Offers shall only contain information that is relevant to this solicitation.

i. Page Size, Format and Limit:

1. A page is defined as each face of an 8 ½” x 11” document containing information. Page limitations shall be treated as maximums and shall apply to all electronic files no matter how the offer was submitted. Pages in excess of the maximum page limited defined below will not be evaluated.

2. For the purpose of formatting, font size shall not be less than 12 pitch.

3. Pages shall be numbered sequentially in each volume and identify the solicitation number.

4. Page limits shall be considered maximums. Pages in excess of the maximum will not be read or evaluated. If Evaluation Notices

(ENs) are necessary, the Government will issue them by electronic means to prospective offerors. Page limitations may be placed on responses to ENs and such limitations will be provided at the time the EN is issued.

5. Indexing – Electronic files should be located in appropriately labelled files so as to easily discern each volume. Each volume shall contain a detailed table of contents identifying the subparagraphs within that volume. The table of contents is not included in the maximum page limitation.

E. OFFER PREPARATION INSTRUCTIONS: To assure timely and equitable evaluation of the offers, the offeror must follow the instructions contained herein. Offerors are required to meet all solicitation requirements, including format, terms and conditions, representations and certifications, and technical requirements, in addition to those identified as evaluation factors. Failure to meet a requirement may result in an offer being ineligible for award.

Offerors are cautioned to follow the detailed instructions fully and carefully, as the

Government reserves the right to make an award based on initial offers received, without discussions, of such offers. Non-responsive offers will not be evaluated.

The response shall include four parts: 1) Cover Page; 2) Volume I –Price; 3) Volume II –

Technical; and 4) Volume III – Past Performance to be eligible for award. The content of each part is discussed below.

F. COVER PAGE. There is no page limitation for the Cover Page.

a. Solicitation Number

b. Solicitation Date and Time specified for receipt of offers

c. Company name

d. Company address and remit to address if different than mailing address

e. Company point of contact(s)

f. Company point of contact(s) e-mail address

g. Company point of contact(s) telephone numbers

h. SAM registration expiration date

i. CAGE code

j. DUNS number

k. Registration confirmation for NAICS 332510

l. Offer Acceptance Period.

G. VOLUME 1 –PRICE. There is no page limit for Volume 1. Offers shall submit the following information in Volume 1:

a. A statement the offeror accedes to the contract terms and conditions as written in the solicitations in its entirety. Offerors shall clearly identify any exceptions to the solicitation and provide accompanying rationale.

b. Complete block 17a of the SF1449.

c. A statement acknowledging all solicitation amendments, if any were issued.

d. Completed Attachment Y, Database Pricing Discount. The following is a brief explanation of Attachment Y, Database Pricing Discount:

i. Offerors shall select pricing databases from the list of databases provided in

Statement of Work section 1.3.3 for each identified category of COCESS items, for which item prices and specifics can be researched. The offeror must propose a primary and alternate database for each category. The offeror shall then propose a discount percentage for each corresponding database category. The proposed discount percentage will automatically calculate a coefficient factor percentage for each category. By proposing a discount percentage against an identified database for each category, the offeror is proposing to sell items found in the database’s corresponding category at the database’s advertised price multiplied by the corresponding category’s coefficient factor. Only two (2) databases (a primary and an alternate) are permitted for each of the five (5) identified categories.

ii. If an offeror proposes different discount percentages/coefficients for option years, the offeror must complete a Pricing Discount Coefficient Table for each proposed option year, per the instructions found in Attachment Y, Database

Pricing Discount.

e. Completed Attachment K, Market Basket (Pricing for Common Items by Trade

Categories). The following is a brief explanation of Attachment K, Market Basket.

i. Offerors shall complete Attachment K, Market Basket using the discount coefficients provided in Attachment Y, Database Pricing Discount to calculate item prices.

ii. If an item is found in both the primary and alternate databases, the offeror must complete Attachment K, Market Basket utilizing the primary database.

If an item is not available in the primary database, the offeror must complete

Attachment K, Market Basket utilizing the alternate database.

iii. If the offeror chooses to propose different discount percentages in Attachment

Y, Database Pricing Discount for option years, a separate Attachment K, Market Basket must be completed for each option year. The separate option year lists may be included on the same spreadsheet utilizing different tabs or

“sheets.” If the offeror does not complete separate pricing discounts for option years, it will be assumed the proposed pricing discounts in Attachment

Y will extend to all available option years and will be evaluated accordingly.

f. Completed Attachment B, Supplemental Priced Item (SPI) List.

i. Items included in the SPI list are those items that cannot be found in the category databases for Attachment Y. The SPI List (Attachement B) will be added to the contract. SPI list proposals must be for exact manufacturers, but

“like-items” (see paragraph 1.6.2.5.) may be bi-laterally added to the list with a post-award modification. The SPI List shall be updated as changes occur through contract modifications.

g. Offeror’s shall fill-in the HIGHLIGHTED cells only using the digital EXCEL

Spreadsheets provided as attachments. Do not attempt to alter any fields other than the highlighted cells. Separate option year lists may be included on the same spreadsheets utilizing different tabs or “sheets.”

h. Completed representations and certifications.

i. Financial Institution Reference Sheet

j. Teaming Arrangement Documentation (If Applicable). If Teaming Arrangements are contemplated they must comply with the appropriate Federal Regulations (13 C.F.R.

Part 121 (Size Regulations), Part 124 8(a) & SDB) and Part 125 (Government

Contracting Programs)). Offerors shall provide the following information not later than the date and time proposals are due:

i. Signed Teaming Agreement.

ii. Clearly establish roles of each party (the prime and subcontractor responsibilities for tasks, contract administration, proposals, work management, etc.).

iii. Subcontractor past performance cannot be disclosed by the prime offeror without the subcontractor’s consent. Include a letter from all subcontractors that will perform major or critical aspects of the requirement consenting to the release of their past performance information to the prime contractor, only if it is being used as part of the past performance evaluation.

iv. Identify each member’s share of the prospective contract, 50/50, 51/49, etc.

v. Include exclusivity that the team member will not be replaced for the duration of the contract, any exceptions should be identified and assurance that the team members are not teaming with another firm for the same procurement.

vi. Include a statement of acknowledgment that the prime contractor is responsible for adhering to contract terms and conditions and daily management. The prime contractor is obligated to negotiate in good faith and responsible for conveying mandatory Government terms and conditions to subcontractors.

vii. Include a statement of acknowledgement that the prime contractor shall remain fully responsible for contract performance, regardless of any teaming agreement between the prime contractor and its subcontractors.

H. VOLUME II – TECHNICAL

The Technical Volume shall be clear, concise, and include sufficient detail for effective evaluation and for substantiating the validity of stated claims. Legibility, clarity and coherence are very important. Your responses will be evaluated against the Technical Factor as defined in Section M of this solicitation. Proposals shall not simply rephrase or restate the

Statement of Work or contain general statements such as “Standard procedures will be employed.” Proposals shall provide convincing rationale addressing how the technical portion of the offer meets solicitation requirements. Offerors shall assume the Government has no prior knowledge of the offeror’s experience. The Government will base its evaluation on the information presented in the offer. Statements that the Offeror understands, can, or will comply with the Statement of Work (including referenced publications, technical data, etc.); paraphrasing the Statement of Work or parts thereof (including applicable publications, technical data, etc.); and phrases such as “standard procedures will be employed” or “well known techniques will be used,” etc., will be considered unacceptable and will negatively impact the Offeror’s rating under the Technical Factor. Elaborate artwork, expensive visual, and other presentation aids are neither necessary nor desired.

The Technical Volume shall be comprised of two parts and shall be limited to no more than ten (10) pages each.

a. Store Management Plan - The contractor shall submit a Store Management Plan with their proposal. The plan shall identify the management and staffing requirements the contractor plans to use to ensure compliance with Statement of

Work.

b. Transition Plan - Offerors shall provide a Transition Plan that contains key milestones that illustrates when the offeror intends to manage, staff, equip, and complete all required tasks within 30 days after contract award and to be able to perform in accordance with the Statement of Work on the first day of the performance period without degradation of support from the previous contract.

I. VOLUME III – PAST PERFORMANCE. The Past Performance Volume is limited to no more than two pages per contract listed. Offerors shall submit contracts for the same or similar requirements described in the Statement of Work.

a. Offerors shall submit past performance information on no more than five recent and relevant contracts performed for Federal agencies or commercial customers where offerors performed as the prime contractor that demonstrate offerors’ ability to successfully perform the scope and breadth of the requirements described in the

Statement of Work of this solicitation. Past performance information submitted in excess of the first five contracts will not be evaluated.

b. Offerors with no same or similar past performance shall include this information in their past performance volume.

c. If a teaming arrangement/Joint Venture is contemplated for this solicitation, offerors shall submit any recent and relevant performance information on previous teaming arrangements/Joint Ventures with the same partner or as the same CAGE in this

Solicitation. If this is a first time joint effort, each party to the arrangement must provide past performance information on no more than five contracts each.

d. Subcontractor Consent. Past Performance information pertaining to a subcontractor cannot be disclosed to the prime offeror without the subcontractor’s consent.

Offerors shall submit in their Past Performance Volume a signed consent letter from all proposed subcontractors consenting to the release of their past performance information to the prime contractor.

e. Offerors shall submit the following information for each contract submitted in their past performance volume:

i. Company/Division name

ii. Product/Service

iii. Contracting Agency/Customer

iv. Contract Number

v. Contract Dollar Value

vi. Period of Performance

vii. Verified, up-to-date name, address, e-mail address, telephone number of the

Government evaluator, contracting officer or customer POC responsible for the contract/work performed.

viii. Explanation of how the scope of the referenced contract meets the relevancy definitions in this solicitation. Identify what elements of each contract are deemed relevant to this solicitation and indicate what percentage of service was performed by the offeror (prime), subcontractor (if applicable) and teaming contractor (if applicable).

ix. Comments regarding compliance with contract terms and conditions.

x. Comments regarding any known performance deem unacceptable by the customer or not in accordance with the contract terms and conditions, the resolution(s) implemented, and results.

xi. If any of the contracts submitted were performed as teaming arrangements or joint venture partners, offerors shall thoroughly explain the relationship of each partner (e.g. managing partner under the contract submitted) and the duties that each assumed in the submitted contract.

f. Past Performance Questionnaires (Attachment 2). Offerors shall complete Section A, General Information and Send the Past Performance Questionnaires to their contract

POCs listed in their Past Performance Volume. Past performance questionnaires received in excess to the first five contracts listed in the Past Performance

Volume or, if applicable, for each party to the first time joint venture effort, will not be evaluated.

i. Offerors shall indicate in their past performance information, which POCs past performance questionnaires were sent to and confirm that the questionnaires were submitted.

ii. Questionnaires shall be e-mailed by POCs directly to

97CONF.PKA.Contracting@us.af.mil, kelsey.causey@us.af.mil, and lori.clinton@us.af.mil.

iii. Completed questionnaires received or routed through the offeror, subcontractor or teaming contractor will not be accepted.

iv. Offerors are responsible for sending and tracking the timely completion and submittal of past performance questionnaires. The responsibility to send out the questionnaires rests solely with the offeror and shall not be delegated to any other entity.

v. Offerors shall ensure questionnaires are submitted to lori.clinton@us.af.mil no later than the solicitation closing date and time.

vi. Offerors shall also inform POCs of any extensions to the solicitation closing date.