Amendment 0001 FA700024R0009 Issued 8 Aug 24.pdf

Amendment 0001

FA7000-24-R-0009

US Air Force Academy

Dean of Faculty Advisory and Assistance Services

August 8, 2024

A. The purpose of this amendment is to:

(1) Answer questions submitted by potential offerors;

(2) Replace Appendix 5, Life Sciences Research Center Laboratory Technical

Support with Appendix 5, dated 7 August 2024;

(3) Replace Appendix 7, Artificial Intelligence and Data Science Development with Appendix 7, dated 7 August 2024;

(4) Update the Fair Opportunity Proposal Request (FOPR); and

(5) Extend the closing date and time from August 16, 2024, 2:00 pm (MDT) to

August 22, 2024, 2:00 pm (MDT)

B. Questions and Answers:

(1) Question 1: Can we support any interest in sharing a path for direct award requirements you have?

Answer 1: This requirement will remain competitive.

(2) Question 2: We request the government to remove resume requirements considering the short response time for the submission.

Answer 2: Offerors shall NOT submit qualification statements, resumes, letters of intent, or qualification summaries with their proposal. The FOPR has been revised to reflect this change.

(3) Question 3: I just wanted to inquire about the incumbent contractor of the

USAFA Dean of Faculty A&AS. Would it be possible to get the contract/task order number:

Answer 3: The current contractor is FA7000-21-D-0005, Aleut Information Technology, LLC.

(4) Question 4: Is there a chance you could extend the proposal due date by

30 days?

Answer 4: The due date for proposals has been extended to 22 August 2024, 2:00 pm MDT.

(5) Question 5: Are we open to a direct award to an Alaskan Native 8(a)?

Answer 5: See response to Question 1.

(6) Question 6: Past Performance is limited to the last 3 years and on OASIS only. The language limiting past performance is not to the Government’s advantage.

Answer 6: The OASIS restriction has been removed and the FOPR has been updated.

(7) Question 7: Key personnel requirement. It is helpful that resumes are not required, but they are evaluated more favorably. This is clearly and advantage to the incumbent team.

Answer 7: See response to Question 2.

(8) Question 8: It is helpful that historical LOE is provided but directions make clear this should not be relied on.

Answer 8: The historical labor hour data and positions are based on the existing task orders; they are not meant to limit an offeror’s ability to determine their own number of personnel and labor hours to complete the work requirements set forth in the PWS Appendices.

(9) Question 9: There are no evaluation criteria or requirement for a transition plan.

Answer 9: No formal transistion period is included; the successor contractor is expected to take all necessary steps to reach full performance in an expeditious manner.

(10) Question 10: The FOPR instructions for Volume I’s Technical Experience requirement states, “Submissions may only be from experiences in OASIS...” OASIS is a GSA Government-wide Acquisition Contract vehicle spanning several functional areas and NAICS codes. Requiring contract references from OASIS would limit an Offeror’s ability to submit references demonstrating relevant experience in the Factor Three:

Technical Experience elements. Will the Government consider removing the requirement for Technical Experience submissions to only be from experiences in OASIS?

Answer 10: See answer to Question 6

(11) Question 11: The FOPR instructions for Volume I’s Technical Experience requirement states, “No more than 2 submissions per element above for a total of 6 for all of Factor Three.” There are no “elements” listed in the proposal instructions for Technical Experience. Will the Government confirm these instructions are meant to refer to the three (3) Technical Experience elements listed on FOPR page 9 under Factor Three: Technical Experience?

Answer 11: Yes. The three elements listed under “Factor Three:

Technical Experience” are the following:

a. Provide a project, including contract number and POC, that demonstrates successful experience with recruiting and retaining specialized personnel and response to filling vacant positions.

b. Provide a project, including contract number and POC, that demonstrates management’s successful ability to monitor technical performance of multiple positions

c. Provide a project, including contract number and POC, that demonstrates the successful ability to quickly respond to changing requirements, requests for new in-scope work, and contract performance issues (see PWS paragraph 3.4)

(12) Question 12: The Basis of Award for Factor Two: Staffing Approach states that Offerors may submit optional resumes for Key Personnel identified in PWS Appendices 3, 4, 5, and 7. Will the Government confirm that Key Personnel resumes are excluded from any page limits listed in Table J.1 – Proposal Organization?

Answer 12: See answer to Question 2. Resumes are not to be submitted.

(13) Question 13: Cell E2 of Attachment 11 states “1 FTE = 1920 hrs.” Will the

Government confirm that Offerors are to use 1,920 annual labor hours per one (1) full-time equivalent employee (FTE) when completing Attachment 11?

Answer 13: Yes, the Government considers 1920 hours to be the equivalent of one full-time equivalent employee.

(14) Question 14: Attachment 2, PWS Section 2.6 Contractor/Personal Furnished Vehicles states, “The Contractor shall furnish all vehicles required to perform the services identified in this PWS.” Will the Government clarify if vehicles are required to perform the services identified in the PWS and appendices?

Answer 14: No additional vehicle requirements are required. The Government does not anticipate that vehicles are required to perform the services identified in the PWS and appendices. Contractor personnel are expected to provide their own transportation to and from their respective place of work performance.

(15) Question 15: “The Contractor shall furnish all vehicles required to perform the services identified in this PWS.” If vehicles are required, will the Government provide additional information on the types and quantities of vehicles that are required?

Answer 15: See answer to question 14.

(16) Question 16: The Base Period is estimated to begin on 30 Sept 2024.

Does the Government plan to have any overlap of this contract with any of the other task orders currently performing this work? If yes, what is the estimated transition timeframe planned?

Answer 16: No formal transistion period is included; the successor contractor is expected to take all necessary steps to reach full performance in an expeditious manner. Except for Appendix 6, Student Information Support, all current task orders will expire on 27 September 2024. SIS Support will continue to be provided by Aleut LLC until 5 March 2025.

(17) Question 17: There are skills and qualifications provided for an AI SME and a Data SME, but the Key Personnel listed in the CDM signed DF FOPR document has what appears to be four (4) positions, an AI SME, Data Science SME, Data Engineer, and AI Engineer. If there are four (4) positions required here please provide the skills and qualifications needed for the Data Engineer and AI Engineer in Appendix 7.

Answer 17: Appendix 7 is updated to include the skills and qualifications for the Data Engineer and AI Engineer.

(18) Question 18: Attachment 9, Appendix 7 states the functions and responsibilities for both an AI SME and Data SME but provides no discussion for either a Data Engineer or AI Engineer. It also notes the positions are key but does reference the Data and AI Engineer as key, which conflicts with Paragraph 7.0, E. 2ii, Appendix 7 referenced above. It also lists the qualifications of the AI SME and Data SME but not the Data Engineer and AI Engineer. Is there a requirement for the Data Engineer and AI Engineer? If there is, please confirm the labor category titles and descriptions and indicate if they are key personnel.

Answer 18: See answer to Question 17

(19) Question 19: Can the Government confirm any changes from the existing program scope to the current solicitation scope? Are there any changes in the required number of FTE from the existing program scope to the current solicitation scope

Answer 19: Appendix 7, AI is a new requirement. Appendix 1, Appendix 2, Appendix 3, Appendix 4, and Appendix 6 are unchanged. Appendix 5, LSRC, Senior Scientist and Laboratory Technical Support, has been combined into one Appendix. Appendix 5 is updated to include constraints and qualifications of the Senior Scientist.

(20) Question 20:. Appendix 3: Department of Physics and Meteorology Falcon Telescope Network and Cadet Space Operations Center listed one

(1) Programmatic Support position at 1,000 hours. Does the Government prefer that this position be a full-time position at 1,880 hours?

Answer 20: Currently, there is one full-time employee performing this task.

Potential offerors may propose as many hours and/or employees as they determine necessary to perform the requirement.

(21) Question 21: Appendix 4: Dean of Faculty Budget Support lists six (6)

Research Budget Analysts and 11,000 annual hours. Does the Government prefer that each of the six (6) Budget Research Analysts be full-time positions as 1880 hours annually for a total of 11,280 hours?

Answer 21: Currently, there are six (6) full-time personnel performing these tasks. Potential offerors may propose as many hours and/or employees as they determine necessary to perform the requirement.

(22) Question 22: Appendix 5: Life Sciences Research Center Laboratory Technical Support shows historical hours as 2,260. Does the Government prefer that both of these positions be at 1,880 hours so that they are both full-time positions?

Answer 22: Currently, the Lab Technician position is 32 hours/week time and the Senior Lab Technician is 6 hours/week. Potential offerors may propose as many hours as they feel are necessary to perform a particular task. Note that Appendix 5 is being updated to include a Senior Scientist position.

(23) Question 23: Appendix 3: Department of Physics and Meteorology Falcon Telescope Network and Cadet Space Operations Center listed one

(1) Programmatic Support position at 1,000 hours. Does the Government prefer that this position be a full-time position at 1,880 hours?

Answer 23: Currently, one FTE is performing under the existing task order. Potential offerors may propose as many hours as they feel are necessary to perform a particular task.

(24) Question 24: The Government states, "…DF has previously contracted the defined tasks outlined in this PWS as individual task orders let within an

Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity contract. The purpose of the PWS is to align all of these requirements and any potential additional in-scope tasks under one OASIS task order." Can the government please provide the names of the contractors and contract number/task order number, for each of the contracts that are being combined into this one task order?

Answer 24: The entire A&AS effort for USAFA is currently under one IDIQ let to Aleut LLC with tasks more closely aligned by effort. Those tasks are now being aligned by customer to better define funding streams and provide more oversight. The tasks are not being combined, but rather are being separated by customer need. The current task order numbers are as follows:

Appendix 1 (Dept of Mechanical Engineering Support): FA700023F0137 Appendix 2 (Office of Labor and Economic Analysis Research Support):

FA700023F0106

Appendix 3 (Department of Physis and Meteorology Falcon Telescope Network and Cadet Space Operations Center Developmental, Operational and Programmatic Support): FA700024F0012 Appendix 4 (Dean of Faculty Budget Support): FA700023F0173 Appendix 5 (Life Sciences Research Center Laboratory Technical Support): FA700023F0126 Appendix 6 (Dean of Faculty Registrar Student Information System Support): FA700024F0028 Appendix 7 (Artificial Intelligence and Data Science Development, Research and Academic Support TO: ( Dean of Faculty): New Requirement, not existing task order.

(25) Question 25: Based on the page limit of 6 for Attachment 14 is it correct to that each Prior Experience Form is restricted to one (1) page?

Answer 25: Yes, limit each prior experience form to one (1) page.

(26) Question 26: Attachment 10 includes fill-in provisions; however, the government does not define in the Fair Opportunity Proposal Request, Table J.1 - Proposal Organization, where offerors should include the required fill-in provisions. Would the government provide instruction for where offerors should include the required fill-in provisions?

Answer 26: The required fill-in positions will be part of Volume I. Table

J.1 has been updated and paragraph J.2(e) has been added.

C. Attachment 7, Appendix 5, Life Sciences Research Center Laboratory Technical Support, is replaced to include the Senior Scientist position which was inadvertently omitted.

D. Attachment 9, Appendix 7, Artificial Intelligence and Data Science Development is replaced to include the constraints and qualifications for the Data Engineer and AI Engineer.

E. The Fair Opportunity Request has been updated to reflect the answers to the previous questions.

F. The closing date and time for receipt of proposals is extended from 16 August 2024, 2:00 pm (MDT) to 22 August 2024, 2:00 pm (MDT).