FA521525Q0028-Questions and Responses.pdf

CONTRACTOR SUBMITTED QUESTIONS GOVERNMENT RESPONSES

Since this work will be done in Hawaii, can the government please confirm that the services being provided in support of this contract are not exempt from the Hawaii excise Tax of 4.5%.

The contract CLINs are FFP and this contract is being competed; as such, all proposed prices will be fully inclusive. Please price accordingly; no additional funding will be provided for the CLINs that are being proposed to.

Would the government consider like and similar services provided under NAICS 541511/541512 as acceptable for CPARS?

IAW the Instructions to Offerors, past performance will be evaluated based on performance confidence assessment using all CPARS ratings under NAICS code, 541519, Other Computer Related Services, within the last five (5) years. If no recent/relevant performance record is available or the Offeror's performance record is so sparse that no meaningful confidence assessment rating can be reasonably assigned, then a neutral confidence will be assigned and it will not be evaluated favorably or unfavorably for this factor.

3 Is there an anticipated transition period for knowledge transfer from the incumbent to a new contractor?

There is no transition period for knowledge transfer from incumbent to a new contractor. The Government will share knowledge with the new awarded contractor when they start.

FA52525Q0028-Instructions+to+OƯerors3.0 Volume 1 – Cover Letter, 3.1.1 (pg. 2) “Cover Letter shall include Offerors’ contract number.”

Would the government please clarify what is meant by “contract number”? Is the government requesting a GSA MAS schedule number, a previously awarded contract number, or another identifier?

This was a typo; please include the solicitation number for this effort.

Clarifications+Based+on+Submitted+Questions+to+the+DRAFT+SolicitationGeneral Clarifications to the Instructions to OƯerors (pg. 2)

As discussed in the instructions to offerors, DBA Insurance should be built into the proposed prices and will not be allowed under the NTE FFP Travel CLIN. Can the government confirm whether DBA insurance is required for this solicitation?

Per the Clarifications Based on Submitted Questions to the DRAFT Solicitation, the contract CLINs are FFP and this contract is being competed. As such, all proposed prices will be fully inclusive. No additional funding will be provided for the CLINs that are being proposed to. Any DBA Insurance should be built into the proposed prices and will not be allowed under the NTE FFP Travel CLIN. Overseas travel is required as part of this contract.

Instructions to Offerors, Section 3.1.1 Cover: Offeror’s are to include contract number, small business status/categories, etc.

Question: Is the contract number you are referencing referring to the solicitation number or some other contract number?

See response to Question 4.

Instructions to Offerors, Evaluation Factors, Section 2.4 – Section 3 Past Performance: The evaluation will be based on CPARS rating under NAICS 541519 for the past 5 years.

Question: Will the Government consider past performance under closely related NAICS codes (e.g., 541512, 541513, or 541611) if relevant work was performed but not specifically under NAICS 541519? If so, should offerors include rationale or mapping of relevance for consideration?

See response to Question 2.

Solicitation - FA521525Q0028.pdf Pages 3 / Volume I - Price & Travel Can the Government clarify how travel costs should be proposed and invoiced given that travel is 'NTE FFP' but no line item pricing is allowed for FAR 52.217-8 extension?

Per the Instructions to Offerors and FISMA Price Workbook, travel should not be proposed, nor will it be evaluated prior to award. The NTE FFP Travel CLIN will not be evaluated prior to award and will be an amount set by the Government. Travel will occur in accordance with PWS Section 6 and the Joint Travel Regulations (JTR). Travel will be treated the same regardless of contractor or proposal. LOIs and cost estimates must be approved prior to travel for each trip and traveler.

PWS_for_FISMA_20250717.pdf Pages 21 / Section 6 - Travel Are there anticipated maximum travel frequencies, destinations, or budgets to help price the FFP contract accurately?

Per PWS 2.1.2.1.6 and 2.2.2.1.6, the positions require the ability to travel up to a maximum of 40% of the time. As stated in Question 8, travel should not be proposed, nor will it be evaluated prior to award. The NTE FFP Travel CLIN will be an amount set by the Government and IAW the PWS, LOIs and cost estimates must be approved prior to travel for each trip and traveler.

PWS_for_FISMA_20250717.pdf Pages 27 / Section 8 - Hours of Operation Can the Government confirm the required on-site hours/days at JBPHH and any remote work flexibility?

Per PWS 8.1, "Normal Operation Hours - 0800-1630HST Mon-Fri (excluding federal holidays) unless otherwise directed by COR." When personnel are not traveling, they are expected to be on-site at JBPHH.

Temporary remote work may be considered on a case-by-case basis, but is not guaranteed and would be by a rare exception.

Solicitation - FA521525Q0028.pdf Pages 7 / Evaluation Factors What metrics and thresholds will the Government use to determine 'unacceptable' technical performance, given the subjective trade-off evaluation?

Per the Clarifications Based on Submitted Questions to the DRAFT Solicitation pdf, a technical proposal will only be deemed "Unacceptable" if it does not include the information required by the solicitation and does not align with the PWS requirements.

Solicitation - FA521525Q0028.pdf Pages 4 / Volume II - Technical Does the Government expect key personnel to be named in the proposal, and if so, will resumes count toward the page limit?

Per the Clarifications Based on Submitted Questions to the DRAFT Solicitation pdf, the 10-page count limit for Volume II-Technical does not include Reasonable Assurance Memorandum and any submitted resumes. Please note resumes are not required for the proposal; the PWS requires resumes to be submitted by the Contractor awarded this contract prior to 30 September and then for replacement personnel prior to their start for qualifications review.

PWS_for_FISMA_20250717.pdf Page 23 / Section 4.3 - Preplacement Personnel Can the 30 day timeline for replacing departing personnel be extended under certain circumstances?

The PWS requirement is that the Contractor shall have a qualified personnel replacement no later than 30 calendar days after Contractor personnel leaving and on-site no later than 60 calendar days from Contractor personnel leaving, unless approved in writing or otherwise directed in advance by the CO.

PWS_for_FISMA_20250717.pdf Pages 23 / Section 7.2 - Clearance Will the Government sponsor and process security clearances for replacement personnel, or must they already hold the required TS/SCI at time of award?

Government will not sponsor or process security clearances for replacement personnel.

Personnel must have the required TS/SCI at time of award.

Solicitation - FA521525Q0028.pdf Pages 16 / Japan-Korea SOFA Clauses Will the Government assist in obtaining necessary SPOT LOAs and Japanese/Korean SOFA approvals in advance of deployment?

Contractors must submit LOAs in SPOT that are approved and signed by the Government. For the Korean SOFA process, Step 1 is completed by Government Contracting, while Step 2 is completed by the Contractor.

PWS_for_FISMA_20250717.pdf Pages 6 / Section 2.1.2.1.8 - Cyber SME Training Requirements Is the contractor responsible for the cost of all mandatory training (e.g., SERE, Anti-Terrorism, OPSEC, etc.), or does the Government provide access at no cost?

The Government will provide access at no cost to the training listed in section 2.1.2.1.8 and section 2.2.2.1.8 to the Cyber SME and Theater Vulnerability Analyst, respectively.

Solicitation - FA521525Q0028.pdf Pages 7/ Evaluation Factors Will the Government share the weighting or relative importance of Price vs Technical vs Past Performance beyond 'best value subjective trade-off'?

Per the Clarifications Based on Submitted Questions to the DRAFT Solicitation and IAW FAR 13.106-1(2)(iii), solicitations are not required to state the relative importance assigned to each evaluation factor and subfactor.

PWS_for_FISMA_20250717.pdf Page 23 / Section 4 - Performance Period Is there a Government-provided transition period before the full start on 30 Sep 2025 to recruit and deploy cleared, trained personnel?

There is not a Government-provided transition period. See Question 3 for more information regarding this inquiry.

FA52525Q0028-Instructions_to_Offerors.pdf Page 2 / Section 3.1.1 - Cover Letter Can the Government clarify what contract number they would like offerors to provide?

See response to Question 4.

PWS_for_FISMA_20250717.pdf Sections 1.4 Objectives and 1.5 Scope Does the Government anticipate surge support or rotational CONUS travel augmentation during CORA/CCORI season? Is a reach-back support model acceptable for peak load periods?

There is not a season for CORA/CCORI events. In fact, they can be a no-notice event.

Solicitation - FA521525Q0028.pdf Section 2.4 Will the Government provide evaluation rubrics or relative weighting to CRR-M and CCORI experience in the absence of past performance scoring?

Per the Clarifications Based on Submitted Questions to the DRAFT Solicitation pdf, no submittals for Past Performance are being requested or evaluated. All Offeror's CPARS ratings under NAICS code, 541519, Other Computer Related Services, for the past five years will be pulled. If there is no recent/relevant performance record, then a neutral confidence will be assigned, and it will not be evaluated favorably or unfavorably on the Offeror.

FA52525Q0028-Instructions_to_Offerors.pdf Page 3 / Section 2.4 - Evaluation Factors Will the Government permit the use of affiliate or tribal company past performance in accordance with DFARS 215.305(a)(2)(C), if supported by shared management structures and corporate resources in the CPAR evaluation?

This is not a FAR 15.3 requirement. See response to Question 2 for more information on this topic.

The customer provided many clarifications via this document for the final RFP, however, did not seem to incorporate them into the final RFP.

Will the customer please update the final RFP to include the clarifications?

Clarifications from the DRAFT solicitation have been provided with this solicitation. The Government will update the Instructions to Offerors on the RFQ as needed. All provided information and documents with this solicitation should be followed.

On page 3, the customer outlines what should be included in the Volume II-Technical. Can the customer clarify if Item 5.2 Quality Control Plan is included in the 10-page limit for the Volume II-Technical.

If the Answer is ‘Yes’ would the customer consider increasing the page count for the Volume II-Technical to 15 pages? This allows for Vendors to better describe their staffing approach and QCP.

Per the Clarifications Based on Submitted Questions to the DRAFT Solicitation pdf, the 10-page count limit for Volume II-Technical does not include Reasonable Assurance Memorandum and any submitted resumes. The Quality Control Plan is included within the 10-page limit.

The General Clarifications to the Instructions to Offerors states, “All components of the submitted proposal will utilize Times New Roman with a font size of 12 for narrative and no smaller than 8 for tables and charts.”

Can no smaller than TNR 8 also be used for graphics, headers, footers, and captions?

All components of the submitted proposal will utilize Times New Roman with a font size of 12 for narrative and no smaller than 8 for tables and charts. If you are including page numbers in the footer and want to use TNR 8, that is also acceptable.

26 Is the government requiring only prime past performance for this solicitation? See response to Question 21.

Per the instructions, the government intends to pull CPARS for the Past Performance re-quirement, but a company will only have CPARS if they performed the work as the Prime. Would the government consider sub past performance from offers? If so, will the government require PPQ’s?

Per the Clarifications Based on Submitted Questions to the DRAFT Solicitation pdf, if there is no recent/relevant performance record, then a neutral confidence will be assigned, and it will not be evaluated favorably or unfavorably on the Offeror. No submittals for Past Performance are being requested or evaluated.

PWS for FISMA_20250717.pdf 1.5 Scope 3–4 The PWS specifies contractor support for nine PACAF Main Operating Bases (MOBs) and two Geographically Separated Units (GSUs) with a list of circuits per base. However, there is no explicit definition of the service level expectations for each site or whether site visits must be conducted annually or on-demand.

Question: Can the Government clarify the required frequency of on-site visits for each MOB and GSU and whether remote assessments may be substituted in certain cases?

The Government cannot clarify the required frequency of on-site visits for each MOB and GSU as they fluctuate. Remote assessments may be considered and approved on a case-by-case basis.

IAW the Position Requirements stated in the PWS, personnel should expect to travel up to 40% of the time.

FA52525Q0028-Instructions to Offerors.pdf 1.3 & 2.3 Page Limits 7–8 The instructions impose a 10-page limit for the Technical Volume but do not specify whether cover pages, tables of contents, org charts, or glossary are included in the count.

Question: Can the Government clarify whether cover pages, tables, graphics, and glossary sections are included in the 10-page Technical Volume limit?

See response to Question 24. Only the Reasonable Assurance Memorandum and any submitted resumes will not count against the 10-page limit.

FA52525Q0028-Instructions to Offerors.pdf 3.1.1 Cover Letter 9 The Cover Letter requirements list company details, but do not indicate whether electronic signatures are acceptable.

Question: Will the Government accept digital/electronic signatures (e.g., DocuSign) on the SF1449 and Cover Letter in lieu of wet signatures?

An electronic signature is acceptable.

FA52525Q0028-Instructions to Offerors.pdf 4.1 Price 10 Price submission requires completion of Attachment 2 – Pricing Worksheet and a 3-page Price Narrative, but does not state whether offerors may propose alternate CLIN structuring for internal accounting purposes.

Question: Will the Government allow minor adjustments to CLIN structuring in the price narrative for internal tracking purposes, provided the total matches the Government format?

All documents should match. The FISMA Price Workbook is required and shows how the CLINs are laid out and how they should be proposed to.

PWS for FISMA_20250717.pdf 2.1.2.1 General Position Requirements 5–6 The PWS lists mandatory training courses with specific completion timeframes after start date (e.g., within 3 days). However, some of the linked training resources may change URLs or require CAC access.

Question: Will the Government provide updated links or equivalent training resources if the specified courses are not accessible to contractor personnel before contract start?

As information and links are updated, the Government will update the PWS accordingly.

PWS for FISMA_20250717.pdf 7.2 Clearance 24–25 The PWS requires all positions to have a Top Secret/SCI clearance. It does not specify whether interim TS/SCI clearances will be accepted at contract start.

Question: Will the Government accept interim TS/SCI clearances for personnel at the start of performance, provided final adjudication is in process?

No, the Government will not accept interim TS/SCI clearances for personnel at the start of performance. Personnel must have final adjudication process at the start of performance.

PWS for FISMA_20250717.pdf 2.1.4 Deliverables 9–12 Deliverables include various assessment reports, training materials, and status updates, but there is no stated Government review/approval turnaround time.

Question: Can the Government specify the review and acceptance timeframe for each deliverable to allow contractors to build accurate project schedules?

The PWS remains as written, without a review and acceptance timeframe for each deliverable. A regular review and acceptance timeframe cannot be firmly established based on variations between applicable situations and submitted deliverables.

Solicitation - FA521525Q0028.pdf 0005/1005/2005/3005/4005 Travel 2–5 Travel is listed as a Firm Fixed Price Lot CLIN for each period, but PWS Section 6 indicates travel will be reimbursed IAW JTR as NTE costs. This is contradictory.

Question: Should offerors include estimated travel costs in the Firm Fixed Price proposal, or will travel be reimbursed separately as an ODC (Other Direct Cost) in accordance with JTR?

See response to Question 8.

FA52525Q0028-Instructions to Offerors.pdf 1.3 & 6.2 Submission Requirements 7, 14 Quotes must be emailed to two POCs but no file size limitations or file naming conventions are specified.

Question: Are there maximum file size limits for email submissions, and are there any required file naming conventions to avoid email system rejections?

Per the Instructions to Offerors, POCs will acknowledge receipt of quotes via email. It is strongly encouraged to submit your quote timely in case of technical difficulties. In the case of technical difficulties while submitting your proposal, email the POCs above to receive the next steps.

PWS for FISMA_20250717.pdf 2.1.2.1.6 Travel Requirements 6 Travel is listed at “up to 40% of the time” but the number of trips, destinations, and trip durations are undefined.

Question: Can the Government provide historical travel frequency and duration data to support accurate pricing and staffing plans?

Historical travel frequency ranges anywhere from two to four sites per quarter. Duration of at each site ranges between one to two weeks.

IAW the Position Requirements stated in the PWS, personnel should expect to travel up to 40% of the time.

PWS for FISMA_20250717.pdf 2.1.2.1.3 & 2.1.2.1.4 Experience Requirements 5–6 The PWS requires 2–3 years of experience for multiple areas but does not state whether experience must be consecutive or cumulative across roles.

Question: Will the Government accept cumulative relevant experience across multiple roles or contracts, or must all experience requirements be from the same continuous employment period?

Experience must be from the same continuous employment period.

PWS for FISMA_20250717.pdf 3 Services Summary 20 The Services Summary table is referenced but not fully detailed in the provided excerpt. The PWS for the contract was provided in full.

Solicitation - FA521525Q0028.pdf 5 Deliveries or Performance 6–9 The solicitation provides a period of performance start date but does not specify whether a phased transition or full staff deployment on Day 1 is required.

Question: Will the Government allow a phased ramp-up of personnel during the first 30 days, or must all positions be filled and operational on the contract start date?

See response to Question 3 and 18.

Draft Instructions to Offeror 2 Please clarify quote organization. Per the table, there is no volume number listed for the cover letter, however

3.0 identifies the cover letter as volume I.

This is the solicitation and there are no draft documents.

The Cover Letter should not have a volume number associated with it. The Instructions to Offerors has been updated accordingly.

Draft Instructions to Offeror 4 Please confirm that Section 7.0 Eligibility does NOT require a response.

This is the solicitation and there are no draft documents.

Section 7.0 Eligibility is informational and does not require a response.

Draft Instructions to Offeror 2 Please clarify quote organization. Per the table, price is volume I and technical is volume II. Section 4.0 identifies price and technical as Volume II.

This is the solicitation and there are no draft documents.

Price is Volume I and Technical is Volume II. The Instructions to Offerors has been updated accordingly.

Draft Solicitation 30 There are contractor required fill-ins in Representations, Certification, & Other Statements, please clarify which volume these should be included as an attachment to.

This is the solicitation and there are no draft documents.

Required fill-ins can be attached to the Cover Letter and will not count against the 2-page limit.

45 Draft Instructions to Offeror Volume 1 Pg 2-3 Please confirm 4.1.2 (3 page pricing narrative) is optional.

This is the solicitation and there are no draft documents.

The up to 3 page Price Narrative is optional; offerors are required to fill out the provided FISMA Price Workbook.

Draft Instructions to Offeror Volume 1 / Draft Solicitation Pg 2-3 / Pg 3-5 Please confirm that in Volume I, you are looking for "Supplies or Services and Prices or Costs" in addition to the Price Workbook.

This is the solicitation and there are no draft documents.

See response to Question 45.

Draft Price Workbook/Draft FISMA PWS 2.1.1 PG 15 Approximately, how many new systems come on-line that must undergo the full ATO process?

This is the solicitation and there are no draft documents.

All new systems that come on-line must undergo the full ATO process, but personnel under this contract are not responsible for that full ATO process.

Draft Price Workbook/Draft FISMA PWS 2.1.1 PG 15 Approximately how many systems is the Cybersecurity SME performing A&A duties responsible for assessing annually

This is the solicitation and there are no draft documents.

The number of systems will fluctuate depending on the number of sites visited.

2.1.2. Requirements (2.1.2.1.8) PG 7

Is training tracked manually or is this requirement only for the initial starting period (3 Days)? Training is tracked manually.

2.2.3 Skills, Knowledge, & Abilities (2.2.3.8) PG 17

How often are assets scanned? Assets are scanned monthly.

Draft Instructions to Offeror 5.1.4 Pg 3 How the Offeror will phase into the office and current requirements. Do you anticipate a transition period for this project. If so, can you please provide the transition/phase in period?

See response to Question 3 and 18.

Use of Automation in Readiness Assessments Question:

Would the Government consider an approach that includes an APL-approved automation tool for conducting CORA and related readiness activities, thereby reducing the number of personnel required while maintaining or enhancing compliance with FISMA, RMF, and PACAF CORA/CCORI requirements?

No, please reference PWS 2.1.1.15, 2.1.1.15, and 2.2.1.13 for responsibilities regarding CORA & CCORIs.

Relative Importance of Evaluation Factors Question:

Will the Government provide clarification on the relative importance of the evaluation factors (Technical, Past Performance, and Price)? For instance, is Technical more important than Price, or are they of equal importance?

See response to Question 17.

Evaluation Criteria for Technical Approach Question:

Can the Government confirm whether the evaluation of the Technical Approach will consider qualitative differentiators such as innovation, automation, and added value to mission performance, in addition to compliance with the PWS requirements?

The technical volume will be evaluated based on content and the Offeror's understanding of the process required to successfully staff employees. See A. 5.0 and B. 2.3 of the Instructions to Offerors for further information.

Past Performance – Use of ANC Family History Question:

As a wholly owned subsidiary of an Alaska Native Corporation, we understand that SBA regulations permit ANC entities to rely on the past performance of their parent and affiliated subsidiaries (see 13 CFR 124.109(c)(3)(ii)(C)). Given that the solicitation currently limits past performance evaluation to CPARS ratings under NAICS 541519, will the Government allow ANC subsidiaries to submit additional past performance information from affiliated companies within the ANC family, so the evaluation fully reflects demonstrated capability in accordance with SBA guidance?

The supplied reference, 13 CFR 124.109(c)(ii)(C), could not be located.

Additionally, this effort is utilizing FAR Part 12, Acquisition of Commercial Products and Commercial Services, and FAR Part 13, Simplified Acquisition Procedures. IAW FAR 13.106- 2(b)(3), quotations or offers can be evaluated in an efficient and minimally burdensome fashion.

56 Could you please tell me how many trips were taken under this contract in the past per year? Six sites were visited in FY24.

57 Can you please grant an extension on this solicitation?

The response timeframe was vetted with interested 8(a) contractors as part of market research for this effort, with multiple companies stating one week is a sufficient timeframe for contractor responses. The one week response timeframe was also conveyed as part of the synopsis and DRAFT solicitation for the effort.

PWS 2.2.4 Deliverables PWS p. 19 Some of the deliverables have due dates in 2023 and 2024. Will the Government please revise?

PWS has been updated as follows:

2.2.4.19 - Kick-Off Brief - 1st Week of Oct 2025 or TBD

2.2.4.20 - Transition Brief - 1st Week of July 2030 or TBD

2.2.4.21 - Close-Out Brief - 1st Week of Sept 2030 or TBD

PWS 11 GFP/GFE/GFI PWS p. 28 PWS Section 11 Government Furnished Property/Equipment/Information states no equipment and no facilities will be provided to Contractor. However per PWS 2.1.5 and 2.2.5, place of performance is at JBPHH. Will the Government confirm it will be providing Contractor personnel with workspace, desk, computer/laptop, and desk phones?

The Government will provide Contractor with a workspace, desk, computer/laptop, and desk phone.

Instructions Section 2.3, 3.0, 4.0, 5.0 p. 2 - 3 Section 2.3 table states Price is Volume I and Technical is Volume II, however Section 3.0 states the Coverletter is Volume I, Section 4.0 states Price is Volume II and Section 5.0 states Technical is also Volume II.

Can the Government please revise/correct Section 3.0?

See responses to Questions 41 and 43. The Instructions to Offerors has been updated.

PWS 2.2.1 Duties and Responsibilities PWS p. 13 The Theater Vulnerability Analyst duties under PWS 2.2.1.24 through 2.2.1.27 sound more like program management duties. Will the Government please confirm that the Theater Vulnerability Analyst is supposed to do the management and contract performance oversight duties listed in those PWS sections?

Theater Vulnerability Analyst is to do both the management and contract performance oversight duties listed in those PWS sections.

PWS 7.2 Clearance PWS p. 25 PWS 7.2 states positions requires TS/SCI clearance and references a DD254. Will the Government please provide the DD254?

The Government will provide DD254 once the contract is awarded and the DD254 has been finalized with the awarded company's information.

Clarifications Based on Submitted Questions to the DRAFT Solicitation General Clarifications to the Instructions to Offerors Pg. 2 Per Section 2.4 of the Draft Instructions to Offerors, past performance will be evaluated based on CPARS ratings under NAICS 541519. Would the Government consider allowing CPARS from NAICS 541512 (Computer Systems Design Services) when the scope of contract referenced clearly aligns with the solicitation objectives?

See response to Question 2.