Section_6.pdf

SECTION 6:

INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS

52.215-1 INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFEROR – Competitive Acquisition (Jan 2017) FAR Clause 52.215-1(d) Offer expiration date. Proposals in response to this solicitation will be valid for 180 calendar days.

INSTRUCTION TO OFFERORS

SPECIAL NOTICES TO OFFERORS

This solicitation is to provide non-personal services for the follow-on 552 Air Combat Wing E-3 Contract Aircrew Training (CAT) and Courseware Development (CWD) and 752 OSS Control And Reporting Center (CRC) support at Tinker Air Force Base (AFB), OK.

Notice to Offerors: Funds are not presently available for this effort. No award will be made under this solicitation until funds are available. The Government reserves the right to cancel this solicitation, either before or after the closing date for receipt of proposals. In the event the Government cancels this solicitation, the Government has no obligation to reimburse an Offeror for any costs incurred in the development of the proposal. This solicitation will not permit foreign contractor participation. Foreign contractors will not be permitted as the prime contractor due to the required security classifications. A non-US company cannot receive the required Top Secret Facility Clearance for this contract and thus are prohibited from submitting proposals.

Proprietary information submitted in response to this solicitation will be protected from unauthorized disclosure as required by Subsection 27 of the Office of Procurement Policy Act as amended (41 U.S.C.423) (hereinafter referred to as "the Act") as implemented in the FAR.

1.0 GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS

1.1 This section of the RFP provides general guidance for preparing proposals as well as specific instructions on the format and content of the required proposal volumes. Each proposal must include all data and information requested in the RFP. The offeror shall comply with the solicitation requirements as stated and the PWS. The offeror’ s proposal must reflect a thorough understanding of the services required and display a logical development of the offeror’ s plans to implement all PWS requirements as assessed by the RFP evaluation criteria.

1.2 Efforts shall be made to keep offers as concise as possible with the emphasis being on providing information essential for proper evaluation. The proposal shall be clear, concise, and shall include sufficient detail to provide for adequate evaluation and for substantiation of the validity of stated claims. Submitted documents must contain adequate information to enable the evaluation team to fully ascertain an offeror’s capability to perform contract requirements, must meet the requirements of the RFP, and must address the evaluation factors for award.

1.3 All information contained in the proposal an offeror feels is “Proprietary Information” and therefore not releasable under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), should be labeled “Proprietary Information, Source Selection Information—See FAR 2.101 and 3.104.”

1.4 In accordance with the Department of Defense Source Selection Procedures, dated 31 Mar 2016, past performance evaluation factor need not be evaluated if the Contracting Officer (CO), after consultation with the Source Selection Authority and Program Manager, waives this requirement. The past performance evaluation factor has been waived by the CO to assist with the efficiency of this requirement. The contractor base is known and the contracting officer, IAW FAR 9.105-2, will document prior to award.

1.5 Offerors shall acknowledge awareness of all amendments to the solicitation by signing and dating Page 1 of each Standard Form 30, Amendment of Solicitation/Modification of Contract, and including it in Volume III, Price.

1.6 The Contracting Officer has determined there is a high probability of adequate price competition for this acquisition so offerors are cautioned to submit their best pricing and technical information up-front.

2.0 FORMAL COMMUNICATIONS

Any formal communication shall be submitted in writing (via email) to the POCs below. It is the offeror’s responsibility to confirm receipt of all formal communications.

ACC AMIC/PKB:

Contract Manger (CM): Ms. Chaweewan McLaughlin, chaweewan.mclaughlin.2@us.af.mil Contracting Officer: Ms. Tara Holloway, tara.holloway@us.af.mil 129 Andrews Ave., Suite 110 Joint Base Langley-Eustis VA 23665-2788 Reference: Solicitation FA4890-19-R-A020

3.0 PRE-PROPOSAL CONFERENCE

The pre-proposal conference will be held at the 552 Operations Support Squadron (OSS), 7584 Sentry Boulevard, Room 102, Building 283, Tinker AFB, Ok 73145, on 25 Sep 2019 starting at 0900 hours local time.

All potential offerors are encouraged to attend. Offerors desiring to attend the conference must pre-register no later than 7 calendar days prior to the conference. Offerors that do not pre-register may not have access to the base/facilities. The Government reserves the right to cancel or reschedule the conference. The Government will not be liable for any expense incurred by offerors prior to contract award.

3.1 Registration. The number of attendees shall not exceed 3 per company or joint venture/partner arrangement.

The registration information shall include the company name, individual name(s), phone number and social security number, and security clearance level of each attendee. This information is for security purposes and access to the base/facilities. The Government requests this information under the authority of 10 U.S.C. 8013. Offerors must submit their pre-registration notification by e-mail to the contract manager.

3.2 Advance Questions. Questions concerning this solicitation should be submitted under separate cover, clearly marked as "Advance Questions" to include solicitation number, name of person submitting the question(s), company name and phone number. Each question should reference the specific section, paragraph and/or attachment number of the solicitation or PWS (as applicable). These questions must be received by ACC AMIC/PKB, 9 calendar days prior to the Pre-Proposal Conference in order for an appropriate response to be given at the conference. Please submit your advance questions and registration information by email to Ms. Chaweewan McLaughlin and Ms. Tara Holloway.

3.3 Remarks and Explanations. Remarks and explanations at the conference shall not alter the terms and conditions of the solicitation unless the solicitation is formally amended. Any oral statements by Government representatives shall not be binding upon the Government; the CO will make all necessary changes in writing via an amendment if required. If an offeror discovers discrepancies or omissions in any portion of the solicitation, the matter should be submitted in writing and provided to the CO as soon as the discrepancy is noted or not later than ten (10) days prior to the proposal due date.

4.0 SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS

4.1 The original proposal and copies as specified in this document shall be sent to the issuing office listed in Block 9 of Standard Form (SF) 1449; on or before the date and time specified in Block 8 of SF1449.

Please mark all packages as follows:

DO NOT OPEN IN MAIL ROOM

ATTN: Ms. Chaweewan McLaughlin and Ms. Tara Holloway

ACC AMIC/PKB

Solicitation No. FA4890-19-R-A020, Volume # and Title Note: If proposals are hand delivered, offerors shall contact the CM at 757-764-5706 to schedule delivery.

mailto:chaweewan.mclaughlin.2@us.af.mil

4.2 Offerors are cautioned to strictly comply with all instructions within this solicitation to ensure submission of a complete proposal. Failure to furnish a complete proposal at the time of proposal submission may result in the proposal being considered non-compliant to the Government and eliminated from consideration for award. Late proposals will be processed in accordance with FAR 52.212-1(f) “Late submission, modifications, revisions, and withdrawals of offers.” The Government will retain the unopened proposal. However, the proposal will not be evaluated or considered for award.

4.3 Contact Information. Offeror shall provide:

• Names, titles, addresses, telephone and email addresses of persons authorized to negotiate on the offeror’s behalf with the Government in connection with this solicitation.

• 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, even if that evidence has been previously furnished to the issuing office.

4.4 Disposition of Proposals. In compliance with FAR Subpart 4.8, the Government will retain one (1) copy of all unsuccessful proposals. Extra copies of unsuccessful proposals will be destroyed. No destruction certificate will be provided.

5.0 PROPOSAL PREPARATION INSTRUCTIONS

5.1 The following instructions prescribe the format for proposals, and describe the approach to be used for the development and presentation of the proposal data. The proposal shall include all of the information requested in the specific instructions. Failure to include all information requested may adversely affect the evaluation. A proposal that merely reiterates or promises to accomplish the requirements of the PWS will be considered unacceptable. A proposal that is orderly and sufficiently documented will enable the Government to easily understand the proposal and perform a thorough and fair evaluation of it. The Government may incorporate into the contract by reference or full text portions of the successful offeror’s proposal as revised and supplemented through the final proposal revision that is submitted in response to the solicitation.

5.2 Proposal Volumes. Proposals shall be prepared in three (3) separate and distinct volumes:

Volume I – Prerequisites Volume II – Technical Volume III – Price

5.3 Proposal Format. The proposal text shall be printed single-sided. Type size for text shall not be smaller than Microsoft Word Times New Roman 12 point font, single column, normal proportional spacing and one inch (1”) margins (top, bottom, left and right). The text for charts, tables, graphs, and figures shall be no smaller than Microsoft Word, Times New Roman or Arial Narrow, 8 point font. Text lines and table lines of text shall be single-spaced. Page color for each page of the proposal submission shall be white or ivory stock only. Information submitted shall not exceed the page limits stated below for each volume.

What Counts as a Page. A page shall be an 8 ½” x 11” sheet of paper. Fold-outs shall not exceed 11” x 17” and shall count as two (2) pages. Fold-outs shall be kept at a minimum, and shall be used only where a table or other graphic cannot be accommodated by a single 8-1/2” x 11” page. All material shall be contained within the page limit identified for each volume, and all appendices, charts, graphs, diagrams, tables, photographs, drawings, etc., are included in the page count, with exception of items stated in the next paragraph. Page numbering shall be in a sequential order (i.e., 1 through 75). Do not number each section of the proposal volume separately.

Pages Not Included in Page Count. The organizational chart, glossary of abbreviations, acronyms and cross-reference matrix will not be included in the page count. Covers for volumes, tables of contents, indices, title pages, and section dividers/tables will not be included in the page count if they are inserted solely to provide ease to the reader in locating parts/sections of the proposal. They will be counted if they contain any other information, e.g., diagrams, extraneous data, etc. Pages marked “This page intentionally left blank” and without any additional information will not be counted. Executive Summary will not be included in the proposal page limitation as stated in paragraph 5.5 below.

5.4 Electronic Copies. Electronic copies of all proposal information for each volume shall be submitted on CD- ROM using Microsoft Office 2010 or later and/or Portable Document Format (PDF) using Adobe Acrobat 9.0 or later. All 3 volumes may be included on the same CD-ROM. Offerors shall not submit any documents in PDF that cannot be electronically searched. Offerors may use JPEG images for charts or screen shots. Volume III - Price shall be submitted in Microsoft Excel 2010 or later. Offerors shall name using standard naming conventions for each volume (e.g., Offeror name-volume name.docx). Each volume shall be contained in its own single searchable file, with copy/paste capability, and stored in a folder that corresponds to the proposal volume it represents.

Offerors shall insert the file name in the header of each document. All disks shall be virus checked prior to submission. Replacement disks/CD ROM will be required to update the final proposal resulting from any discussions should they occur. It is the offeror’s responsibility to ensure that electronic copies and hard copies are an exact match. If there is a discrepancy between electronic copies and hard copies referenced in paragraph 5.5 below, the hard copy submission will be used to conduct evaluation.

5.5 Copies and Page Limits. Evaluators will only read up to the maximum number of pages specified. If the page limit is exceeded, the excess pages will be removed from the proposal and returned unread to the offeror. One copy of each Volume shall be marked “Original” and shall include a signature on the SF1449 in Volume III, Price.

Copy requirements and page limitations are as follows:

VOL TITLE PAPER

COPIES

CD ROM Page Limit Due Date

I PREREQUISITES 4 1 40 14 Oct 19 II TECHNICAL CAPABILITY 7 2 50 14 Oct 19 III PRICE2 3 1 None 14 Oct 19

Notes:

1. An Executive Summary shall be included in Volume I, Prerequisites – summary shall not exceed 3 pages. The

3 page limitation is not included in the 40-page limit for Volume I.

2. The Price Volume is for price only – Technical information shall not be included in this volume. The original, plus required copies shall be submitted IAW the instructions provided in paragraph 5.5 for evaluation.

See paragraph 7.4 for requested Supporting Price Backup Data.

5.6 Cross-Referencing. Offerors shall not cross reference between Volumes I and II. Each Volume shall be written on a stand-alone basis so that its contents may be evaluated without cross-referencing to the other Volume of the proposal. NOTE: Information required for proposal evaluation, which is not found in its designated Volume, will be assumed to have been omitted from the proposal.

5.7 Exceptions. Offerors are required to meet all solicitation requirements, such as terms and conditions, representations and certifications and technical requirements, in addition to those identified as evaluation factors or aspects. Failure to meet a requirement may result in an offer being ineligible for award. If the offeror finds it necessary to take exception to any of the requirements specified in this solicitation, the offeror shall clearly identify the applicable Volume and exceptions with a complete explanation of why the exception was taken, what benefit accrues to the Government (if any), and its impact, if any, on the performance, schedule, price and specific requirements of the solicitation. Each exception shall be specifically related to each paragraph and/or specific part of the solicitation to which the exception is taken. Offerors are cautioned that taking an exception may render the offer ineligible for award. This information shall be provided in the format below.

Table 1 – Solicitation Exceptions

Solicitation Document

Page/Paragraph Requirement/Portion Rationale & Impact

Contract Line Items section, PWS, Section 6 and Section 7, etc.

Applicable Page and Paragraph Numbers

Identify the requirement or portion to which exception is taken

Describe the rationale and impact of the exception

5.7.1 If the offeror takes no exception to any of the stated requirements in the solicitation, a statement to this effect is required at the front of Volume I, Prerequisites, in the Executive Summary.

6.0 INSTRUCTIONS FOR VOLUME I - PREREQUISITES and VOLUME II - TECHNICAL

CAPABILITY (FACTOR I)

6.1 INSTRUCTIONS FOR VOLUME I – PREREQUISITES: The Prerequisite Volume should be detailed and complete to clearly and fully demonstrate that the offeror has a thorough understanding of the PWS plans and prerequisite requirements to accomplishment the effort. This volume of the proposal shall consist of the offeror’s plans for transition, instructor training and certification, quality program approach and any requirements for contractor furnished equipment.

Statements that the offeror understands, can, or will comply with the PWS (including Air Force (AF) publications, technical requirements, etc.); statements paraphrasing the PWS or parts thereof (including applicable AF publications, technical data requirements, etc.); and phrases such as “standard procedures will be employed” or “well known techniques will be used” etc., will be considered unacceptable. All information that the offeror deems appropriate to address prerequisite requirements must be included in an orderly format. The Prerequisite Volume shall not contain any cross referencing to the Technical or Pricing Volumes.

6.2 Technical Contents

A. Table of Contents. A table of contents shall be included in the Prerequisite Volume for each the Requirement.

Each section will be clearly marked and tabbed for easy reference and pages shall be numbered in a consistent/sequential manner as stated under Proposal Preparation Instructions, paragraphs 5.3, 5.4, and 5.5 above.

B. Glossary of Abbreviations and Acronyms. Each section shall contain a glossary of all abbreviations and acronyms used, and with an explanation for each.

6.3 INSTRUCTIONS FOR VOLUME II - TECHNICAL CAPABILITY (FACTOR I): To facilitate the evaluation, the Technical Volume should be specific, detailed, and complete to clearly and fully demonstrate that the offeror has a thorough understanding of the requirements to accomplishment the effort. This volume of the proposal shall consist of the offeror’s technical approach, addressing risk management or mitigation strategies, if applicable.

The offeror shall provide a clear and concise description of how the offeror plans to meet or exceed the requirements of the RFP, specifically identifying any innovations or efficiencies that would result in cost reductions, cost avoidance, or qualitative improvements resulting in a benefit to the Government in relation to the PWS and the technical capability. The Source Selection Authority, in consultation with the Source Selection Evaluation Team and advisors, is the sole arbiter of whether or not qualitative improvements represent a benefit to the Government.

Statements that the offeror understands, can, or will comply with the PWS (including Air Force (AF) publications, technical requirements, etc.); statements paraphrasing the PWS or parts thereof (including applicable AF publications, technical data requirements, etc.); and phrases such as “standard procedures will be employed” or “well known techniques will be used” etc., will be considered unacceptable. Offerors should note that data submitted prior to the proposal submission including data submitted for current contracts and other solicitations will not be considered in the Government’s evaluation. Therefore, such data should not be relied upon nor incorporated in the Technical proposal by reference. Offerors shall address the requirements noted in this section by imperative verbs regardless of whether such requirements are preceded by “the offeror shall”. The offeror’s proposal shall, at a minimum, be prepared in a form consistent with the Technical criteria set forth in Section 7, Evaluation Factors for Award, of this solicitation. All information that the offeror deems appropriate to address for this factor must be included in the proposal in an orderly format. The Technical Volume shall address all the technical aspects of the requirement. This section shall not contain any pricing data.

6.4 Technical Contents

A. Table of Contents. A table of contents shall be included in Volume I. Each factor, aspect, and section will be clearly marked and tabbed for easy reference and pages shall be numbered in a consistent/sequential manner as stated under Proposal Preparation Instructions, paragraph 5.3.

B. Glossary of Abbreviations and Acronyms. Each volume shall contain a glossary of all abbreviations and acronyms used, and with an explanation for each.

C. Executive Summary. Included in this volume is the offeror’s Executive Summary (limit is 3 pages). It should include a concise summary of the offeror’s proposed approach to the E-3 AWACS CAT/CWD effort.

D. Technical Factor Cross Reference Matrix. The offeror shall fill out the Technical cross reference matrix indicating the proposal reference information as it relates to the RFP, PWS, and CLIN references found therein. See Appendix 1 and paragraph 5.6 above for instruction on cross-referencing. PWS paragraph references are cited regarding each aspect of the requirement. These paragraph references are not however, exclusive, and offerors must thoroughly review the complete PWS.

7.0 INSTRUCTIONS FOR VOLUME III -- PRICE PROPOSAL (FACTOR 2)

7.1 The offeror shall complete Section 3 of the solicitation (Schedule of Supplies and Services (CLINS)) by inserting the price elements (unit price and extended amount) for all Firm Fixed Price (FFP) contract line item numbers (CLINS), including Phase-In, Base Year, Option Years, and Optional CLINs. The price for the 10-month base period should be divisible by 10. For ease of administration, all TOTAL pricing should be rounded to whole dollar amounts and divisible by 12. The solicitation will provide pre-established NTE amounts for the Fixed Price Travel CLINs that will become part of the total evaluated price for all offerors.

7.2 Complete in its entirety the "Offeror" portion of the Standard Form 1449. An official having authority to legally bind the company contractually must sign and date the Standard Form 1449. One copy of the Standard Form 1449 must bear an original signature and if applicable, all amendments. Failure to acknowledge any amendment(s) to the solicitation can result in an offeror being deemed non-compliant. Note: Be sure to sign and date where required.

7.3 Representations and Certifications. Complete the required Representations and Certifications or indicate if information is contained in the System for Award Management (SAM) located at https://www.sam.gov.

7.4 Supporting Price Backup Data for Prime and Subcontractors. Certified cost or pricing data is not required.

However, supporting data is requested. Supporting data should explain the methodology used in developing proposed CLIN prices. Supporting data shall be provided in a table format, to include, at a minimum, a breakdown (by CLIN) of labor (labor category, number of positions and productive hours and rates used), breakout of Other Direct Costs (ODC), Direct and Indirect Rates, and Subcontract costs. Supporting data may be submitted in a format selected by the offeror, but must address the information requested in this paragraph. The Government reserves the right to request additional pricing information after receipt and evaluation of proposals.

8.0 DEBRIEFING OF OFFERORS

8.1 Debriefings are conducted with the goal of identifying to unsuccessful offerors where changes can be made to improve future source selection participation.

8.2 Successful or unsuccessful offerors may request debriefings by providing a written request to the Contracting Officer. Debriefings shall be conducted in accordance with FAR 15.505 for pre-award debriefings and FAR 15.506 for post-award debriefings.

https://www.sam.gov/

9.0 RESPONSIBILITY DETERMINATION

9.1 For the purposes of making a determination of contractor responsibility, past performance information may be obtained from sources such as the Government’s Contract Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS), the Defense Contract Management Agency, interviews with Program Managers, COs, and Award Fee Determining Officials, and other sources known to the Government. The Government reserves the right to obtain more past performance data from any source that it deems appropriate.

Appendix 1 to Section (6)

Technical Capability Cross-Reference Matrix

As part of Offerors’ proposals, a separate cross-reference matrix shall be completed and submitted with Volume I, Technical. The cross-reference matrix below is to assist in the proposal preparation process. Offerors shall complete the last column of this attachment with paragraph number references, including all subsequent subparagraphs (for example, 5.0 includes 5.1, 5.2, 5.2.1, etc.) from their Technical Volume. Offerors may provide additional references to the other columns as deemed necessary. Offerors are ultimately responsible for ensuring that their proposal fully addresses all areas and that all requested information is completed in accordance with this solicitation.

TECHNICAL FACTOR CROSS REFERENCE MATRIX

Technical Aspect Reference Service

Summary Item

Section 6 Section 7 Technical Proposal

Paragraph(s) Aspect I: Manning Workload Analysis

Aspect II: Training Workload Management Plan

Aspect III: Organizational Structure

4.0 SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS