TLPS Section L 11 Dec 08

1.0 GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS.

1.1. To assure timely and equitable evaluation of proposals, offerors must follow the instructions contained herein. Offerors are required to meet all solicitation requirements, including terms and conditions, representations and certifications, and technical requirements, in addition to those identified as evaluation factors or subfactors. Failure to meet a requirement may result in an offer being ineligible for award. Offerors must clearly identify any exception to the solicitation terms and conditions and provide complete accompanying rationale.

1.2. POINT OF CONTACT. The Contracting Officer is the sole point of contact for this acquisition. Address any questions or concerns you may have to the Contracting Officer. Written requests for clarification may be sent to the Contracting Officer at the address located in Section A of the RFP.

1.3. DEBRIEFINGS. The Contracting Officer will promptly notify any Offerors of any decision to exclude them from the competitive range, whereupon they may request and receive a debriefing in accordance with FAR 15.505. The Contracting Officer will notify unsuccessful Offerors in the competitive range of the source selection decision in accordance with FAR 15.503. Upon such notification, unsuccessful Offerors may request and receive a debriefing. Offerors desiring debriefing must make their request in accordance with the requirements of FAR 15.505 or 15.506, as supplemented.

1.4. DISCREPANCIES. If an Offeror believes that the requirements in these instructions contain an error, omission, or are otherwise unsound, the Offeror shall immediately notify the Contracting Officer in writing with supporting rationale. The Offeror is reminded that the Government reserves the right to award this effort based on the initial proposal, as received, without discussion.

2.0 ORGANIZATION

2.1. The following instructions cover the preparation and submittal of the Offeror’s proposal for this solicitation. Proposals shall be submitted to the Government in four (4) separate volumes as set forth below:

*See Past Performance Information Sheet (PPIS) (Attachment 1) Instructions.

** Soft Copies shall be delivered on CD-ROM in either text searchable ADOBE pdf format or Microsoft Office format; each soft copy called for above shall be provided on a separate CD-ROM

*** See Cost/Price Volume for electronic copy submission requirements

**** Documentation submitted for Subfactor 1 does not count against the page limitation for the technical proposal page count.

2.2. All proposal volumes, by either mail or hand-delivery, shall be delivered to:

Mailing address:

538 ACSG/PK

Andrew Hatch

6072 Fir Ave Bldg 1233

Hill AFB UT 84056

Physical address:

538 ACSG/PK

Andrew Hatch

6072 Fir Ave Bldg 1233

Hill AFB UT 84056

2.3. Each volume shall be marked with the solicitation number, the Offeror’s name and address, and the buyer information contained in Block 7 of Standard Form 1447 (RFP cover page). The volumes identified in the table should be separately bound in three-ring loose-leaf binders. Each volume shall contain a glossary of all abbreviations and acronyms used, with an explanation for each. Volumes II - IV shall contain a cross-reference matrix which maps requirements from the RFP to where it can be found in the respective Volume. Furthermore each volume shall contain title pages, tabs, and one (1) table of contents. Glossaries, table of contents, cross-reference matrixes, tabs, and title pages do not count against the page limitations for their respective volumes. Executive summaries will count against the page limitations for their respective volumes. Proposals shall comply with the following format:

2.3.1. Cross-referencing between volumes is prohibited. Cross-referencing within a volume will be limited to figures, graphs, charts, tables, and drawings. Cross-referencing of proposal body text is prohibited.

2.3.2. Page limitations shall be treated as maximums. If exceeded, the excess pages will not be read or considered in the evaluation of the proposal and will be returned to the offeror as soon as practicable. Page limitations shall be placed on responses to Evaluation Notices (ENs) if any. The specified page limits for EN responses will be identified in the letters forwarding the ENs to the offerors. The Government intends to make an award without discussions. Discussions, if necessary, will be conducted in accordance with FAR 15.306.

2.3.3. All text shall be formatted to a minimum 11-point Arial font, except where noted, and shall be on 8 ½ x 11 inch paper (this applies only to Offeror generated documents, and not to certifications or other documentation not generated by the Offeror). Characters are to be in black ink, and all text shall be single-spaced.

2.3.4. Charts or graphs may be on a fold-out page with a maximum size of 11x17 inch. Fold-outs will count as one page. A maximum of 10 foldouts are permitted. A minimum 9-point Arial font may be used for tables and a minimum 8-point Arial font may be used for graphic callouts.

2.3.5. Any paper that has text on one side shall be counted as one page. Any paper that has text on both sides shall be counted as two pages.

2.3.6. Margins shall be no smaller than 1 inch. Page identification (headers and footers containing page numbers, proprietary statement, and similar identifying data) may be outside the margins.

2.3.7. Each page within a section shall be numbered consecutively.

2.3.8. Each page containing proprietary information shall be marked inside the header and footer of each page with the following statement in 14 point Arial bold font:

(Company Name) Proprietary Information

2.3.9. Each page should contain the following legend at the bottom of each sheet:

SOURCE SELECTION INFORMATION--SEE FAR 3.104

FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

2.4. The Offeror shall submit proposals in accordance with the instructions contained in RFP Sections L and M at the times and on the dates established in the Proposal Volume Submittal Schedule as shown below. Each required submission listed below is due no later than 4:00 pm Mountain Time on the date indicated below. Failure to provide any required submission by the time and on the date specified may cause the Offeror’s proposal to be late, in accordance with FAR 52.215-1.

2.5. No later than seven (7) calendar days after the Solicitation Issue Date of this RFP, the Offeror shall submit to the Government via e-mail only a list containing the names, addresses, CAGE Codes, address of cognizant DCMA Office, and name, telephone number, and e-mail address of cognizant DCMA ACO of the prime contractor and each critical subcontractor. This list is to be sent to the Thunderbolt Life-Cycle Program Support (TLPS) e-mail address: andrew.hatch@hill.af.mil. For purposes of this RFP, a critical subcontractor is defined as any subcontractor whose capabilities are utilized by the prime contractor for purposes of completing the Minimum Capabilities Matrix (Attachment 6), to include subcontractors and other business entities of the Offeror’s common parent corporation. The number of critical subcontractors shall be limited to no more than four (4) for the purposes of fulfilling the requirements contained in the Minimum Capabilities Matrix.

SOLICITATION DUE DATE INFORMATION

PROPOSAL SUBMITTAL SCHEDULE

*Submission Dates: Calendar Days Post the Solicitation Issue Date of the RFP

NOTE: INFORMATION IN THE ABOVE TABLE DOES NOT CHANGE OR NEGATE OTHER REQUIREMENTS SET FORTH IN SECTIONS L AND M.

3.0 Volume I, Completed and Executed Request for Proposal. Volume I will consist of the completed and signed RFP, completed DD Form 1155 for the Integration Support Task Order (included immediately following the completed basic contract RFP), Offeror’s compensation plan for professional employees IAW FAR 52.222-46, and the Offeror’s Small Business Subcontracting Plan IAW FAR 52.219-9 and FAR 52.219-9 Alt II. The Offeror’s Small Business Subcontracting Plan must include goals that meet or exceed the Small Business Participation requirement specified in the Section H clause, Small Business Participation and demonstrate the ability to achieve this requirement. However, Offerors are cautioned that any noncompliance with the terms and conditions of the RFP may cause their proposal to be determined unacceptable. The Government intends to make an award without discussions. Discussions, if necessary, will be conducted in accordance with FAR 15.306.

4.0 Volume II, – Technical Proposal.

4.1. The technical proposal has four subfactors, as follows: Subfactor 1, Certifications; Subfactor 2, Facilities and Equipment; Subfactor 3, Structures & Mechanical Systems; and Subfactor 4, Avionics. The Offerors must be capable of performing work on all configurations of the A-10; however, for evaluation purposed, only the A-10C configuration is specified in some subfactors. The A-10C is the most current / complex configuration, and it implements all the elements of the Precision Engagement upgrade program.

4.2. The technical proposal shall be clear, concise, and include sufficient detail for effective evaluation. An executive summary to the technical proposal may be included. The proposal shall not simply rephrase or restate the Government’s requirements, but rather shall provide convincing documentation to address how the Offeror will meet these requirements. There will be no reference to rates or price in this volume. Offerors shall assume that the Government has no prior knowledge of their certifications, facilities and/or structural, mechanical, and avionics capabilities, and will base its evaluation on the information presented in the Offeror’s proposal. Cognizant Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) representatives will advise and assist the technical team in evaluation of the technical proposals as necessary. The information provided will be evaluated to assess technical acceptability in accordance with Section M-900, Evaluation Basis for Award.

4.3. The Offeror shall fill out the Minimum Capabilities Matrix which identifies the Offeror and no more than four (4) critical subcontractors fulfilling the requirements contained in the Minimum Capabilities Matrix (Attachment 6).

4.4. Organize Volume II as follows:

A. Title Page

B. Executive Summary (optional)

C. Table of Contents

D. List of Drawings/Tables/Graphs/Figures/Charts

E. Glossary

F. Cross-Reference Matrix

G. Minimum Capabilities Matrix

H. Subfactor 1, Certifications

I. Subfactor 2, Facilities & Equipment - Paragraph A, Avionics Software Development and System Test/Integration Facility

J. Subfactor 2, Facilities & Equipment - Paragraph B, Secure Facility

K. Subfactor 3, Structures and Mechanical Systems

L. Subfactor 4, Avionics

4.5. The written Technical Proposal shall address:

4.5.1. Subfactor 1, Certifications.

M. Offeror as prime contractor must submit the following:

a. Current AS 9100 B Certification from an accredited certification body listed in the International Aerospace Quality Group's (IAQG) OASIS database: http://www.iaqg.sae.org/servlets/index?PORTAL_CODE=IAQG

b. Documentation evidencing DCMA certified Earned Value Management System (EVMS) in compliance with ANSI/EIA-748-A-1998(r2002) or a comprehensive plan for compliance with the guidelines in ANSI/EIA-748-A-1998(r2002) in accordance with contract provision 252.234-7001 as included in this RFP. Documentation is required as part of this proposal for the TLPS basic contract; however, EVMS will be implemented at a Task Order level as applied at DFARS 234.201

N. Offeror as prime contractor must submit the following documentation for either the offeror as prime or one of its critical subcontractors as identified in the critical capabilities matrix:

a. Appraisal Disclosure Statement evidencing a minimum of CMMI (Capability Maturity Model Integration) Level 3 rating

b. Nondestructive Inspection (NDI) Principal Level III certification(s) in accordance with NAS 410 for the following methods: Liquid Penetrant, Magnetic Particle, Eddy Current, and Ultrasound

4.5.2. Subfactor 2, Facilities & Equipment. Offeror must describe their facilities and equipment or their ability to obtain facilities and equipment necessary to meet the requirements of the PWS items listed below. If the Offeror does not have current possession and/or access to these necessary facilities and/or equipment, the Offeror must submit a thorough, low risk plan for gaining access to and/or establishing the necessary facilities and/or equipment within 2-years of contract award in order to compete on individual task/delivery orders.

A. An avionics software development and system test/integration facility that can support A-10 software requirements

B. Secure facility that can protect data marked up to and including a classified secret security level

4.5.3. Subfactor 3, Structures and Mechanical Systems. Offeror must describe a low-risk plan and describe your team’s capabilities to meet the A-10 requirements listed below. These plans shall include at a minimum; a disciplined engineering approach, identification and management of resources, and maintaining OSS&E.

A. Provide ASIP engineering support for the A-10, as defined by tasks IV and V of Mil-Std-1530C

B. Perform fatigue, materials, durability, and damage tolerance testing and structural teardown and analysis

C. Analyze and redesign mechanical systems

D. Analyze the impact of and integrate propulsion upgrades

4.5.4. Subfactor 4, Avionics. Offeror must describe a low-risk plan and describe your team’s capabilities to meet the A-10 requirements listed below. These plans shall include at a minimum; a disciplined engineering approach, identification and management of resources, and maintaining OSS&E.

A. Develop, integrate, and successfully test hardware on A-10C avionics architecture

B. Develop, integrate, and successfully test Operation Flight Programs (OFP) and support equipment software on A-10C avionics architecture

C. Perform temporary and permanent modifications that ensures airworthiness

5.0 Volume III,- Past Performance: The Offeror shall submit a Past Performance Volume containing the following:

A. Title Page

B. Table of Contents

C. Executive Summary not to exceed 3 pages

D. List of Drawings/Tables/Graphs/Figures/Charts

E. Glossary

F. Cross Reference Matrix

G. PPISs (Attachment 1) in accordance with specific guidance below.

H. List of Offeror’s contracts in the past three years

I. Consent Letters executed by each subcontractor, teaming partner, and/or joint venture partner, authorizing the release of past performance information so the offeror can respond to such information. A sample consent letter is identified in Attachment 4.

J. Client Authorization Letters for each identified effort for a commercial customer authorizing release to the Government of requested information on the offeror’s performance. A sample authorization letter is identified in Attachment 5.

5.1. At a minimum the executive summary shall describe the capabilities and roles that will be provided by the contractor and all subcontractors/teaming partners.

5.2. Offerors or their critical subcontractors shall complete a separate Past Performance Information Sheet (PPIS) for each active or completed contract performed no earlier than the past six (6) months (current work is not excluded as long as it has been on contract for at least 6 months) and no later than five (5) years prior to the RFP issuance date that the Offeror considers relevant in demonstrating its ability to meet the technical capabilities listed in technical subfactor 2, Paragraph A, Facilities for Avionic S/W development and test, technical subfactor 3, Structures and Mechanical Systems, and technical subfactor 4, Avionics. The offeror shall not submit more than 10 PPIS: no more than 5 PPIS for subfactor 3; and no more than 5 PPIS for subfactor 2, Paragraph A, and subfactor 4 combined. If the offeror has performed more than five relevant contracts within the past five (5) years, the Offeror shall address its five (5) most relevant contracts for each subfactor. Contracts listed may include those with the Federal Government, state and local Governments or their agencies, and commercial customers. Offerors or critical subcontractors that are newly formed entities (formed within the past five years) may submit PPISs demonstrating the past performance for each of their key personnel and/or the divisions and/or corporate management that have been used to create the newly formed entity if such resources will be used and significantly influence the offeror’s performance of the proposed effort. Past performance will only be evaluated for each Offeror and their critical subcontractors based on the work they are proposing to do on this contract, as identified in the Past Performance Volume Executive Summary.

5.3. Include relevant information concerning the Offeror’s compliance with FAR 52.219-8, Utilization of Small Business Concerns and/or FAR 52.219-9, Small Business Subcontracting Plan, when these clauses are or were contained in any of the contract efforts identified in Volume III, Past Performance Information, of the Offeror’s proposal. At a minimum, two (2) of the efforts identified in Volume III, Past Performance Information, must contain these clauses. Please note that this FAR 52.219-8/9 requirement does apply to ALL Large Business Offerors. Address whether or not the Offeror carried out the policy of the United States in the awarding of subcontracts to small business concerns, veteran-owned small business concerns, service-disabled, veteran-owned small business concerns, HUBZone small business concerns, small disadvantaged business concerns, and women-owned small business concerns to the fullest extent consistent with efficient contract performance.

5.4. The Offeror shall focus its PPIS responses so that they clearly correlate past performance with the required capabilities listed under technical subfactor 3, Structures and Mechanical Systems, and technical subfactor 2, Paragraph A, Facilities for avionic S/W development and test, and subfactor 4, Avionics. Each PPIS submitted by the Offeror must clearly describe the technical and programmatic efforts performed by the Offeror on that effort. The Offeror may expand the answering space on each PPIS so that the filled-in PPIS for each relevant contract covers no more than four (4) pages. The Offeror shall provide the most current information for the points of contact (POCs) identified on each PPIS.

5.5. Offerors shall include three (3) additional pages in spreadsheet format, that list all contracts and task/delivery orders the Offeror and its critical subcontractors are performing or has performed in the past three (3) years. If the listing(s) of said contracts exceeds three (3) pages, only the most recent contracts ongoing/completed that exceed $500K shall be listed. The purpose of the spreadsheet is to capture the total scope of work (whether the Offeror deems the work relevant or not to this instant RFP) that the Offeror has ongoing or completed in the past three (3) years. The Government may obtain and use performance information on any or none of these programs. The spreadsheet(s) shall include (as a minimum) current information as follows:

5.6. It is not presumed that the Offeror’s past performance has been perfect. Rather, the proposal should contain evidence of the Offeror’s ability to isolate the root causes of problems and should include in their PPIS a description of programs or actions taken to resolve those causes. Problems not addressed by the Offeror but found by the Government during the evaluation of the information in this volume will be assumed to still exist. Note: In the case of Contractor Performance Assessment Report System (CPARS), if your input has already been provided and the rationale/ circumstances have not changed, DO NOT repeat them here. The Government will use data provided by each Offeror in this volume and may use data obtained from other sources in the development of the confidence assessment.

5.7. In addition to past performance questionnaires for each relevant contract submitted, the Performance Confidence Assessment Group (PCAG) may contact the points of contact provided by the Offeror for the purpose of ascertaining and/or clarifying past performance information.

5.8. Questionnaires. The Government requests the Offeror send out Past Performance Questionnaires (Attachment 3) to each of the Customer Points of Contact (POC) (EN, PM and CO) for each PPIS identified in the Past Performance Volume. If the customer for any PPIS is a potential offeror (or critical subcontractor) for this solicitation, the offeror shall provide the POCs for the next higher level customer. Example, if Contractors X and Y are both potential offerors for this solicitation and Contractor X was a subcontractor to Contractor Y on workload performed for the government, then Contractor X shall provide both Contractor Y and the government POCs for each applicable PPIS. POCs will submit completed questionnaires directly to the Government to Capt Ron Hilliard at ronald.hilliard@hill.af.mil and Andrew Hatch at andrew.hatch@hill.af.mil. Once the Past Performance Questionnaires are completed by the POCs, the information contained therein shall be considered sensitive and shall not be released to the Offeror. A cover letter for transmitting the questionnaire to each POC is provided (Attachment 2).

6.0 Volume IV. - Cost/Price Proposal

6.1. Primary Purpose. The primary purpose of the cost/price proposal is to provide the contracting officer and cost team evaluators with an understanding of how the price proposal was developed. This will include the methodology for the labor hour rates. The cost/price evaluation factors of reasonableness, balance, realism, and Total Evaluated Price (TEP) as defined in section M of this RFP will be accessed from the offeror’s information provided in the cost/price proposal.

6.2. Certified Cost and Pricing Data. Cost or Pricing Information Requirements – In accordance with FAR 15.402, 15.403-1(b) and 15.403-3(a), “information other than cost or pricing data” may be required to support price reasonableness. If, after receipt of proposals, the CO determines that there is insufficient information available to determine the proposed prices/rates reasonableness and none of the exceptions in FAR 15.403-1 apply, the Offeror shall be required to submit cost or pricing data.

6.3. Submission. Submit the price proposal in Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel worksheets as appropriate. Word documents and Excel spreadsheets must be editable and not password protected. Each disk shall be clearly labeled. The paper and electronic copies shall be clearly identified. Scanned documents in PDF files are NOT acceptable for the Cost/Price Proposal Volume. The Labor Category Rates Matrix shall be submitted in a Microsoft Excel worksheet. All labor rate cells must be populated with a NTE rate. A copy of the DD Form 1155 for the integrations support task shall be submitted with Volume IV Cost/Price to be used in the calculation of the TEP.

6.4. Pricing Assumptions: Summarize all significant pricing assumptions, scope limitations and/or qualifications of the Cost/Price proposal. The Offeror shall state the period for which the proposed price is valid. This section shall not exceed two pages.

6.5. Estimating techniques and methods. When responding to the Cost/Price Volume requirements in the solicitation, the Offeror and associated subcontractors may use any generally accepted estimating technique, including contemporary estimating methods, to develop their estimates. Provide a summary description of your standard estimating system or methods. Provide a summary description of your purchasing system or methods. Identify deviations (if any) from your standard estimating procedures (including overhead and G&A applications) in preparing this proposal volume. Indicate whether you have Government approval of your estimating and purchasing systems and provide evidence of such approval. Provide a summary description of your pricing methodology as it pertains to this acquisition.

6.6. Labor Hour Rates. The Offeror shall provide the labor hour rates and the government will compute the Total Evaluated Price (TEP) based on these proposed rates. All rates shall be proposed at the primes cost line and shall include all applicable direct and indirect costs including subcontractor’s profit or fee. Offeror’s shall complete the pricing spreadsheet entitled Labor Category Rates Matrix that is identified as Attachment 7. A separate Labor Category Rates Matrix may be included for the Fixed Price (FP), for the Cost Reimbursable (CR) rates, and for the Labor Hour Rates (LH) as identified in 9952.901-H901 in Section H of the RFP/Contract. CR rates will be used as the basis to compute the fee amounts on cost-type delivery/task orders, and will be contractually binding for this purpose. Use the format in Attachment 7 for these NTE Fully-Loaded Labor Hour Rates. The Offerors must ensure that all fully-loaded labor rates include all applicable labor overheads, G&A, and cost of money (if proposed), for the applicable period of performance for each labor category in the spreadsheet. A rate must be proposed for all labor categories and for each pricing arrangement i.e. FFP, CR, or LH. Each labor rate is a single composite rate for a labor category and will be utilized for both the prime and the prime’s subcontractors. It is anticipated that the proposed FP, LH, and CR rates will be the same for all labor categories through the cost line; therefore, only one Labor Category Rate Matrix will be necessary. In the event that the proposed CR rates differ from the FP & LH rates at the cost line, the offeror must provide in his proposal a complete breakdown of the specific cost elements included in the CR rates with appropriate rationale and explanations. The Government will then perform a detailed cost realism analysis on the proposed CR rates. Provisions 52.216-29 and 252.216-7002 Alternate A are included in this RFP and are applicable to task order competitions; the provisions do not apply to the NTE Labor hour rates in the basic contact. A “no bid” or omitted rate may result in an unfavorable proposal evaluation. The rates in the Offeror’s Labor Category Rates Matrix will be incorporated as an attachment of the resultant contract award and will be the Not to Exceed rates used as the upper boundary for proposal rates on subsequent task orders.

6.7. Integration Support Task Order. The Integration Support Task Order (ISTO) will be Firm Fixed Price (FFP) for the labor lines and Cost Reimbursable No Fee (CR) for the travel line. The offeror is required to submit a priced form DD1155 for the integration support task including FFP proposed for the labor lines and a cost estimate for the travel line. In addition to the DD1155 the offeror is required to submit documentation describing the development of the ISTO proposed price. The documentation must include sufficient detail so the government can validate that the proposed price is consistent with the NTE Labor rates and profit and fee factors proposed in the basic contract Labor Category Rates Matrix A copy of the completed DD1155 and accompanying documentation shall be included in Volume IV Cost/Price Volume.

6.8. Not-To Exceed (NTE) Profit and Fee Factors. Prime offerors are requested to provide NTE profit factors and NTE fee factors for the period of performance of this contract (see Labor Category Rates Matrix). The cost plus fixed fee factors cannot exceed the limits stated in FAR 15.404-4. These NTE profit and fee factors are maximums which will be used to establish (1) the price of fixed price delivery task orders; and (2) the Fixed Fee dollar amount on CPFF task orders. Profit and Fee in the Labor Category Rates Matrix must be proposed as factors, not percentages.

6.9. TLPS Labor Rate Adjustment Clause. Rates re-calculation, using an economic index, may take place annually, starting in 2012, during the period of TLPS Contract. See Labor Rates Adjustment Clause in section H and the rates adjustment example of this RFP.